The Chosen One, Book II: Trials of the Heart
by JL01
Summary: As Ash and Misty bring their relationship to full circle through marriage, they are unaware that their days together are limited...Can Ash and Misty fight their own inner demons to save Kanto? Or will they succumb to the darkness of their hearts?
1. Prologue: A Dark Prophecy

**(NOTE: **This is the **second **book, of a total of **six **in this series)

**Rated:** T

**Genre:** Tragedy/Romance/Supernatural

**Summary: **As Ash and Misty consummate their relationship through marriage, they are unaware that their days together are limited...Can Ash and Misty fight their own inner demons to save Kanto? Or will they succumb to the darkness of their hearts and betray all those who are close to them? - Pokeshipping.

**List of Shippings:** Pokeshipping, Contestshipping (minor), Ikarishipping (minor), Rocketshipping, MangaShipping (Brock & Sabrina)

**Content Warning:** Very dark themes in later chapters. Battle scenes in later chapters include numerous Pokemon deaths.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. I only own a few of the characters who appear in this story, as well as the events of the story itself. I won't name the characters in the first page, so as to not ruin any surprises, but I will name them in the respective chapter(s) they first appear in.

***Please read Book I first, to become familiar with the events leading up to this story.***

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**The Chosen One, Book II**

**Trials of the Heart**

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**Prologue**

**A Dark Prophecy**

I was never told what really was my true purpose in life... I was created by a group of scientists, over a decade ago. Enraged by the hideous circumstances under which I was created, and their true motive behind doing so, I destroyed all of them gleefully with my powers, letting them know firsthand what hatred and malevolence they had awakened within me. In time, I also abandoned my 'master', Giovanni, after serving his will for what seemed like a lifetime, defeating trainer after trainer as they came, seeking to test my powers.

But then, everything changed when I met _him._ The boy whom they called Ash Ketchum. His sacrifice and selflessness in the face of danger made me realize just how precious the gift of life is, and that the truly important thing is not how a living being is created, but what individuals do with the gift of life, that determines who we are. He was truly one of a kind, as I had never met a human with such a pure heart as his.

And now…I have finally realized just what my purpose is. As I dwelt with my clones, deep beneath the surface of the world in Mount Quena, I was visited in my dreams by the very being who sired us all - Arceus. He told me that a Prophecy which was millennia-old was soon to come to realization, and to contact the Chosen One yet again, for his choice shall be the one which will ultimately deliver this world from certain demise, or condemn it to ruin and darkness. My time on this planet, as well as that of all of the other Legendary Guardians of this world, will soon come to an end.

It has already begun...

**(End of Prologue)**

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**A/N: **This was actually my very first story uploaded here on (and not Book I, as I actually intended it to be a 'backstory' which would come after Book II), so the first 2-3 chapters are quite short in length. I revisited this story and finished it, after completing Book I.

I've decided to tweak this Book here and there, after having finally finished it on New Years' Eve, 2010. I've also decided to remove the 'Chapter _ : ' behind the titles of each chapter, as they are quite an eyesore.

This story really begins to pick up in the middle after a slow start in the beginning, so please have patience and read on, if you will.

As always, your reviews are much appreciated. :)


	2. A Blissful Wedding

**Character Ages:** Ash & Gary (20), Misty (21), Brock & Sabrina (25), Professor Oak (60), Delia Ketchum (39) - I changed the characters' ages so that it would reflect the Epilogue of Book I, which is two years after Ash returns (when he is 18 y.o.)

Other characters including The Sensational Sisters, Prof. Ivy, Birch, Elm, May, Max, Dawn, etc will not be included beyond the first chapter due to plot constraints, so you can just imagine what their ages would be, respective to the main characters.

As other main characters are added, their ages will be stated at the start of their respective chapters.

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**Chapter 1**

** A Blissful Beginning**

**(Misty's POV)**

"Misty Waterflower…will you marry me?"

As he spoke those four magic words that I've wanted to hear from him for so many years, I couldn't believe that this day had actually come true. I could feel tears forming in my eyes as I looked at the love of my life who knelt before me, his chocolate brown eyes gazing into my own as if he was looking into my very soul. In his hand lay a ring case, containing a beautiful golden ring adorned with a shining diamond. I immediately wrapped my arms around him, embracing him in a warm hug.

"Of course I do, Ash. I love you!" I cried into his chest, as I felt his hand caressing and stroking through my hair.

"I've always loved you, Misty. The whole time I was traveling without you by my side during my journeys was the hardest experience in my entire life. Brock and the others don't know this, but whenever I thought of you, every single step I took every day felt like…as if I couldn't go on. As much as I wanted to become a Pokémon Master, I had finally realized that the one thing that I truly wanted in life…was you, and when that time came, I felt as if nothing else in this world mattered to me."

It took me quite a while to get his words down my system. This is the first time I've ever heard Ash be so true and sincere in communicating his feelings for me, and hearing him say those words left me overwhelmed with emotions so powerful that it would be impossible to ever express them.

"Ash…" I said, feeling the tears as they rolled freely down my face. "I love you."

As I laid my head into his chest once again, I felt as if all of the burdens in my life had been lifted. Ash was the one and only person whom I could love, until the day I die. And as I felt his chin resting gently on the top of my head, for a single moment, everything simply seemed to be perfect in my life.

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**(6 months later)**

**(3rd-person POV)  
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The wedding ceremony was being held in the local church in Pallet Town, as guests from all over flocked into the building. Among them were Misty's three sisters - her maids of honor - as they were busy making last-minute checks on Misty's wedding dress. Delia Ketchum sat alongside Professor Oak and Gary in the front row, as they eagerly awaited the start of the ceremony. Brock was to be Ash's best man, as he was busy preparing for the occasion with his best friend of over ten years, inside the groom's chambers. Meanwhile, the rest of the guests were busy chatting in the foyer, as they started to make their way one by one to their seats inside the church. Brock peered through the small gap created by the door, as he saw Tracey Sketchit conversing with Professor Elm, and behind them, Professor Birch, May and Max speaking with -...

'_Argh! No! Not her! I can't bear to be anywhere __**near**__ her'! _Brock thought, as he recoiled immediately at the sight of the beautiful, slender and purple-haired woman he saw in the foyer. He winced away from the door, panting with fear.

"Huh? What's up, Brock?" said Ash, as he stepped forward to peek out the door, in order to catch a glimpse of the thing which had Brock now paralyzed with dread. "Hey, isn't that Professor I-"

"DON'T MENTION THAT NAME!" cried Brock, shivering on the ground hugging his legs with his arms as he trembled like a scared little puppy. Ash and Misty never really got around discovering exactly why the mere mention of Professor Ivy's name resulted in this reaction from Brock every single time. He turned his back to the door and put his focus back on finishing his preparations, as a small smirk escaped from his lips.

Thirty minutes later, Ash stood in front of the altar of the church, after making his way down the aisle, alongside his best man Brock. The Pewter City gym leader was trembling in his boots from nervousness, feeling as if he was about to be involved in a fatal emotional train wreck, as he saw Professor Ivy seated in the second row from the corner of his eye.

Then, as the halls of the church resonated with the music of Wagner's Bridal Chorus, all eyes were averted to the angelic person who was now making her way down the aisle. Ash stared blankly at her, dumbfounded by her sheer beauty. Her hair was worn down, permed with beautiful curls which bounced gently and ever so elegantly with every step she took. Daisy, Violet and Lily walked behind Misty, carrying her train, as tears of joy trickled from their eyes. Then, she finally came face-to-face with Ash, as the music of the organ subsided with a final chord.

Ash felt himself being drawn to Misty. He had never felt so attracted to her before in his life. He would have embraced her right there and then in a tight hug and started to kiss her passionately, if not for him remembering just where he was standing at present. So instead, he gave a warm smile to his true love and future wife. Her deep cerulean eyes were beautiful enough to put the beauty of the ocean itself to shame, as they looked lovingly towards the man with whom she was now going to spend the rest of her life with. They continued to look longingly at each other, as the priest commenced the recital of the Ceremonial Notary.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman, in marriage. Marriage is the union of…"

As the priest continued his speech, Ash and Misty became lost in their thoughts. This was the most beautiful moment in their entire lives, and both could now feel small drops of tears forming in their eyes, ready to make their vows to one another.

"Ash Ketchum, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

Ash gave a beaming smile to Misty as he made his vow. "I do."

"Misty Waterflower, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to be true to him for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Small tears of joy glistened upon Misty's eyes, as she looked into Ash's eyes and whispered.

"I do..."

The couple then proceeded to exchange their rings. After this was complete, the couple held each other's hands in front of them, as a bright ray of sunshine shone directly upon them.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Lord our God, I now pronounce you, husband and wife," said the priest, as he turned to Ash, smiling at the newly-wed couple. "You may now kiss the bride."

As Ash removed the veil of Misty's wedding gown, her beautiful, fiery orange hair glistened as it was illuminated by the brilliant rays of sun which shone through the stain-glass windows of the church. They both smiled and closed their eyes, as the gap between them grew smaller and smaller, until at last, their lips locked onto one another. All who were present in the church clapped with joy, as Pikachu and Marill smiled at the two.

But for Ash and Misty, nothing else seemed to matter right there and then, as they became deaf to the rapturous clapping and cheers of their friends and guests, as they were so captivated and overwhelmed at this most significant moment of their lives.

Then at last, they stepped back from one another, as they looked at all the audience who continued to clap in jubilation. Professor Oak was comforting Delia who was overwhelmed with joy, tears falling down her face at the sight of her son's wedding. Gary Oak, seated next to his grandfather, gave Ash a smug smile, as Ash smiled back at them.

Ash then turned his head to the left side of the church, as he saw the Kanto Elite Four, along with gym leaders Erika, Blaine, Lt. Surge and Sabrina. As his eyes turned to the beautiful psychic gym leader, he could see that she was looking in Brock's direction, a sense of longing filling her eyes. Brock and Sabrina had dated for several months, after he and Ash returned to Kanto from their adventures in the Sinnoh region with their former traveling companion Dawn. However, their duties as gym leaders meant that as time progressed, they had lesser and lesser time to spend with one another, until finally, they both mutually decided to end their relationship, embracing each other for one last time.

Then, as Mendelssohn's Wedding March started to resonate from the organ, Ash and Misty ran down the aisle towards the waiting limousine. Just as they were about to enter the car, Misty looked back at the crowd who were now amassed outside the church. She gave a great smile to all, as she faced the direction of the car again, throwing her bouquet of flowers backwards over her head. The crowd watched as it sailed through the air, literally over-passing the eagerly waiting group of female attendants. It fell into the hands of an unsuspecting Sabrina, who now had a shocked expression on her face. Looking at Misty who was smiling warmly towards her, Sabrina responded by changing her dazed expression into a smile of her own, as she bid farewell to the two lovebirds who climbed into their limousine, which drove off into the bright horizon.

**(End of Chapter 1)**

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**A/N: **I've fixed this chapter yet again, making numerous more corrections here and there. I might just have enough time on my hands to put up Chapter 2 in around a week or so, upon which I probably won't put up any more chapters until I finish my end-of-year exams which are held on October 28-November 19 this year (I live in Melbourne, Australia) . As a result, I won't be writing much more until after November 20.

Please leave your reviews!


	3. The Honeymoon

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

This is the **second **'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

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**Chapter 2**

**The Honeymoon**

**(Ash's POV)**

Several hours had passed since our wedding as we now enjoyed each other's company, taking a leisurely stroll across the beach-side of Pallet Town. For all the years I've known her for, Misty had never looked as content as she was now; her beautiful face illuminated by the full moon, as her head rested gently upon my shoulder. Pikachu and Marill walked alongside us with a happy smile beaming across their faces, as they both indulged on a small packet of ketchup I gave to Pikachu earlier.

"Did you enjoy the wedding today, you two?" Misty asked after awhile, standing upright again as she turned her face towards them.

"Pi-kachu!"

"Marill!" the two Pokémon merrily responded.

"But you know, Ash," she said, looking back to me, "We're soon gonna have to work out a whole lot of stuff, like where we're gonna live."

I stopped walking. Misty and Pikachu looked at me with puzzled looks on their faces, as I turned sideways to face her. She had quite a concerned look on her face, as I raised my head to meet her eyes.

"Mist…" I started, before smiling at her, "That, and everything else we'll have to deal with, we can think about tomorrow morning. Tonight is for you. I want today to be the happiest day of your life; when you can relax and let go of all of your worries, if only for a few hours."

Her confused gaze soon turned to a smile of assurance, as she leaned in, kissed me on the left cheek and whispered into my ear.

"Alright, Mr. Pokémon Master. If you say so."

We continued to walk together along the sandy shores of the beach. I had never felt so complete…so relaxed…so perfectly…

Happy.

"Y'know, Mist," I said to her again, as we rested our heads against each other's, "Honestly, there really couldn't be anything more that I could ever want right now, than to be beside you tonight."

"Actually Ash, there _is _something that I've wanted for a long time now," she replied.

"What is it, Mist?" I asked.

"Ash, I…" she said, looking downwards, "…I want _children_. I know it may be a little too early in our marriage for me to say something like this to you, but…I really do. In fact, I've _always_ dreamed of being a mother someday. I guess it's because I talked to your mother so often while you were off traveling in Hoenn and Sinnoh, and I started to envy her a bit. She told me that although she occasionally feels sad from missing you, being a mother was the best thing that could ever happen to her, and that she's proud of you, always."

I looked at her. "Do you…do you really want to be a mother that much?"

"Of course," she nodded. "Ash…nothing could make me prouder than being the mother of your child."

"But Mist," I said, holding her hand firmly, "Being a mother and going through pregnancy at your age is gonna take some serious work, and cause you a _lot_ of hardship. Are you sure you're ready for something like that?"

"I am," she smiled as she laid her free hand upon my cheek, "And besides…I know that you'll always be there to look out for me."

"Mist…"

I pulled her in gently and gave her a hug, as she reciprocated my love by holding me in her soothing embrace. I then laid my right hand upon the side of her face, stroking her radiant hair as I did so. We then kissed passionately, as the waves crashed gently on the shoreline, and a wild flock of Butterfree flew elegantly across the night sky.

"Okay then, what kind of names do you wanna give them?" I chuckled as we broke contact.

"Well, I dunno exactly," she replied, placing her forefinger upon her lower lip. "What do you think?"

"Well, let's see now," I said as we started walking again, hand-in-hand. "If it's a girl, why don't we call her, umm…Bianca, or Melody?" I grinned sheepishly as I teased her. As soon as she heard my suggestions, Misty gave me a tired glare, sticking her tongue out at me in frustration before looking forward again.

"_Fine then, Ash Ketchum_," she said in a vexed, yet sarcastic tone as she grinned. "Then _surely _you wouldn't mind _me _naming the child if it's a boy? How about…_Rudy…_or _Danny_?"

My eyelid twitched at the sound of the names of the two Orange Islands gym leaders whom Misty had developed strong crushes on while we traveled with Tracey. Jokingly, I responded to her by flicking her playfully on the arm, causing her to wince and hold the upper part of her arm with her other hand. She replied back by playfully slapping me softly on the arm, as we both chuckled. Then, I nudged her in the shoulder with a little more force, and while attempting to push me back with her left hand, Misty lost balance and fell onto the sand as I quickly leaned back to avoid it.

"_Come __**back **__here, Ash Ketchum! I'm going to __**kill **__you!_" Misty bellowed furiously as she got up onto her feet and brushed sand off her cheeks, chasing after me as I dashed away, laughing. Pikachu and Marill quickly ran after us. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Misty running at me like my Primeape when I first encountered it years ago. There were _two_ things in this world that could make Misty run faster than you could ever believe to be humanly possible: her fear of bugs, and her burning will to pummel someone with her mallet when they made her angry.

I suddenly fell into a fit of panic, as I tripped over a clump of sand lying on the beach. I cried out in fear as Misty came running in and leapt on top of me, as we both started rolling along the sand, clutching each other's backs.

"Aah, Misty, don't hit me!" I cried, covering my eyes with both of my hands. "Don't kill me, please! Not on our honeymo-oompfhh!" I wailed, before I was made to shut up as my lips made contact with hers, drowning out my fearful shouts. Misty then continued to kiss me between heated breaths, before she leaned back and onto the sand, holding onto my back as I leaned over her.

"How are you ever _possibly_ gonna be the man of the household when you're such a _chicken_, huh?" she teased as she stroked my cheek.

"Get used to it, honey," I grinned, drawing her in for another kiss.

We made love to each other on the sandy shores of the beach for a brief time, before sitting up together and looking in each other's eyes.

"I promise you Mist, that I'll always be there to love and protect you… I promise," I whispered, holding both of her hands in mine as she leaned her chin on my shoulder.

She whispered back into my right ear, laying soft kisses on my cheek as she spoke. "I know."

Then, as we stood back up, I saw Pikachu and Marill with very tired looks on their faces, yawning from fatigue.

"Come on," I said to Misty, squeezing her hand delicately, "It's getting late, and Pikachu and Marill are exhausted. We should be getting back."

"Alright Ash," Misty nodded, before looking over her shoulder at them, "Come on you two!"

"Pikapi!"

"Marill!"

Pikachu and Marill cheerfully replied, as Pikachu leapt upon my back and Misty took Marill in her arms.

Minutes later, we were back at the hotel we were staying at, as its yellow outdoor floodlights glowed brightly, leading the way to the entrance. Branches of tropical trees rustled against the gentle wind, which made Misty shiver slightly as I held her beside me with my right hand. Both of us were quite exhausted after all that we did together after the wedding; the after party with several of the guests at my house, taking photographs, restraining Brock yet again from a group of girls who were confused by his behavior…all I wanted now was to relax in a comfortable bed, with Misty by my side.

Upon entering the hotel's elevator, I pressed the button to go to the top-most floor, where our room was located. I turned my head left to look at Misty; her eyes were almost half-closed, as I placed my arm around to support her. She leaned into me, breathing lightly onto my neck as the doors of the elevator opened.

We walked down the corridor to our door, and I unlocked it with the room key, which Pikachu handed to me after swinging down from my back to the front of my jacket pocket to remove it; the speed and precision with which he did it so great, that it would've put even a Mankey to shame. I opened the door, and put the key back into my pocket, as Pikachu jumped down from my shoulder onto the floor. I gently removed Marill from Misty's arms, and placed the blue Pokémon on the ground.

Pikachu and Marill then proceeded to run into our bedroom, as Misty and I looked on smiling. Knowing how tired she was, I picked her up by her back and legs and carried her into the bedroom, taking great care to place her delicately on the mattress of the bed. I kissed her gently on the forehead and lips, and stroked the side of her face as she closed her eyes, seemingly ready to fall into a deep sleep.

I then crouched down to speak to Pikachu, who was still frolicking with Marill on the foot of the bed.

"Hey buddy, do you mind taking Marill with you to the other bedroom? Misty and I would like some…_privacy_… just for tonight."

"Pi…" Pikachu replied silently, smiling at me and Misty in acknowledgment of my request. I turned my attention back to Misty, as I held her hand which lay on the side of the bed, looking at her tired eyes which shone a radiant cerulean blue. After a few moments, I released her hand, laying it gently upon her chest, and walked towards the wardrobe.

"Do you wanna have a rest on the bed Misty? I'll be out after I take a shower." I said to her, turning around to head into the bathroom as I grabbed my bathrobe.

"Ok, Ash. I'll be waiting," she replied, as she drifted off into a brief nap while I took a shower. After I finished and came out, Misty also took her nightgown into the bathroom and took a shower while I waited on the bed. Then, once she had finished in the bathroom, she came back into the bedroom and joined me in the bed, as we enjoyed our first night together as husband and wife.

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**(The next morning)**

We were suddenly woken by a thumping feeling on the foot of our bed. As we both rubbed our eyes and looked up, we saw Pikachu and Marill with broad smiles on their faces, which were lit up by the radiant sunlight which beamed through the window. Yawning, I turned to Misty who sat up from the bed.

"How are you feeling today, Mist?" I asked her.

"Great! That was the best night I've had in a long while!" she beamed as she stretched her arms upwards into the air.

"Well, I guess it's time for breakfast, then," I said, getting out of bed with her. We both walked into the kitchen; Misty drawing a box of cereal out of the pantry and setting up bowls and spoons, while I took out a carton of milk from the fridge, as well as a bottle of ketchup for Pikachu and Marill to share.

"So, Ash, about where we're gonna live…have you got any ideas yet?" Misty asked as we started to eat.

"Hmm…I dunno, actually," I said, causing her to smack her forehead with her palm.

"Trust _you _to think about anything but your stomach or Pokémon…" she muttered.

I laughed inwardly, whilst continuing to eat. "Well, what kinda place do you wanna live in, Mist?" I asked.

"Well," she replied, "Obviously you know that I love the sea. So I was hoping that maybe we could live somewhere where there's a lot of water around, for me and my Pokémon. I want Seaking and Gyarados to be able to swim freely where we live."

"What about just living in Cerulean, then?" I asked.

"No…I was thinking somewhere else," she answered, looking down.

"What's wrong with Cerulean, Mist?"

"Nothing…it's just that I…I wanted to go somewhere else. Somewhere that's new, you know?"she explained.

"Hmm…I see," I said, leaning back into my chair, before a small pamphlet lying on the kitchen bench top caught my eye. "Hey, it's a real estate pamphlet!" I remarked, stretching my arm out to grab it. "Let's see here…"

"See anything nice?" Misty asked as she peered over, while I flicked through the pages.

"Erm…besides Cerulean City, there's a house by the coastline of Fuchsia City, a beach house by the coast of Lavender Town…" I said, listing the possibilities.

"NO. _Not _Lavender Town," she said boldly, shaking a little bit from the memories of our journey to Pokémon Tower.

I chuckled. "OK, then. There's also a resort house in Cinnabar Island, but then again, there's practically no-one there besides old Blaine. Then there's a house available within the town in the Seafoam Islands…"

"That's perfect!" Misty beamed, clicking with her fingers.

"Ehh? Wha?" I said, looking up at her dazedly.

"Pika?"

"Marr?" the two Pokémon looked up from their ketchup bottle.

"The Seafoam Islands! It's got the most _beautiful _beaches, as well as stunning sunsets! On top of that, it's also a great place to train all kinds of Pokémon!" she smiled.

"Yeah, but…" I murmured, "It's so far away from everyone else…"

"We can visit everyone once every couple of months, can't we?" she smiled, "We could also visit May every now and then, by taking the ferry to the Hoenn Region!"

"It's just that…I hardly got to spend time with my mom during my years of traveling. I just wanted to be close to her in case she needs any help, y'know?" I said.

"Don't worry about her too much, Ash. Your mom is a very strong-hearted person. I'm sure she can manage," Misty reassured me, placing her warm hand on mine.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," I said, "What's gonna happen to the gym, if you decide to leave?"

"That's fine too! Daisy said that she'll become the gym leader on a permanent basis. She's trained a lot over the past two years, so I'm sure she can handle it." Misty reassured me.

"OK, Mist. It's settled, then," I said, lifting her hand and kissing the top of it, before laying it back down softly on the table. "Come on. Let's finish breakfast, and then we'll visit Professor Oak's lab and my mom's place."

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**A/N:** That's the end of Chapter 2. I can't do too much on this story right now in terms of word length, because my final exams are just over a month away. It's most likely that Chapter 3 won't be put up until around the week of November 15, when my exams finish.

I was originally going to make Ash and Misty go live in Cinnabar Island, but chose the Seafoam Islands instead, because the town there didn't seem like a large-enough place compared to the town in the Seafoam Islands in the anime. It also conflicted with some plotlines that I was going to use in Book III, but I won't specify what they are, for spoiler reasons.


	4. Home Again

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

This is the **second **'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

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**Chapter 3**

**Home Again**

"Hey, mom, I'm home!" I said loudly upon opening the door of my house, so that she would hear me.

"Mime! Mr. Mime!" a cheerful Pokémon responded as he came to the door to greet us.

"Hey, Mr. Mime!" both me and Misty smiled.

"Pika!"

"Marill!" Pikachu and Marill dashed over to Mr. Mime, receiving a hug from him.

"Hi guys, what's up?" Brock said as he came out of the living room. He had kindly decided to stay a few days after the wedding, helping Mom to clean up the house after the huge wedding party last night, as well as helping her sort the enormous amount of letters we had gotten after the ceremony.

"Hey, Brock. Everything's been wonderful so far! The hotel we're staying at is really beautiful," Misty smiled, holding onto my arm.

"That's great to hear! Glad to see that the two of you are really happy together!" Brock replied.

"By the way, Brock. Have you seen my mom around?" I asked.

"Oh, right. Umm…she was taking care of some things in the garden. Why don't I go and get her-" he said in realization, turning around to head outside before stopping in shock, as Mom came into the doorway in front of him.

"Oh honey, you're finally here!" she cried with joy the moment she saw us, as she ran forward and gave me a big hug.

"Hi, mom! It's good to see you!" I smiled. She then looked at Misty, before walking up to her and hugging her as well.

"How are you, Misty? You both must be so tired after such a big day!" she said.

"I'm fine, Delia. Thanks!" Misty beamed as they greeted each other by kissing one another on the cheek.

"Oh, I'm just so _happy _to have such a great son, and a wonderful daughter-in-law!" Mom smiled again, hugging the both of us tightly. "I remember _my _wedding day, all those years ago!" she said, looking at me, "Your father was so handsome in his pure-white wedding suit, and it was one of the happiest moments of my life! He'd be so _proud _if he saw you yesterday!"

She then stopped briefly, breaking apart from the two of us as her smiley expression slowly shifted into a more sullen state – she was obviously remembering her days with Dad.

"Mom…are you…alright?" I asked, looking at her eyes with concern. A cheerful smile then returned to her lips, as she changed her thoughts.

"Oh, yes, honey, I'm fine! Well, why don't you all head on upstairs to Ash's room? I gathered all the letters we got from people yesterday, and I'm sure that you'd love to read some of them! Meanwhile, Mimey and I will prepare some biscuits and tea."

"That sounds great, mom!" I smiled, heading to the staircase while holding Misty's hand, as Mom and Mr. Mime went together into the kitchen.

"As always, your stomach comes first in your mind…" Misty sniggered at me, squeezing my hand.

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Arriving at my room, I opened the door to be met with a shocking sight. These were not just 'letters'…there was an entire _mountain _of them, so high that it easily measured up to the length of half my arm, from the elbow down.

"Well, why don't we get started?" Brock said, "Better now than later."

"Yeah…" I choked, intimidated by the humongous pile of letters before me, as we moved towards them.

"Hey, look! There's one from my sisters in here!" Misty smiled, tearing the ends of the envelope and pulling out a red card. Brock and I looked over her shoulder to see it. Misty then read to us the contents of the letter, as she was the most comfortable out of the three of us when reading the handwriting of her sisters.

* * *

_Dearest sis,_

_Hope you had a great day yesterday! We couldn't stick around, cos the gym needed us back and all, so we thought we'd write you this card. _

_How __**lucky **__are you? You're the youngest out of all of us, and yet you're the first one to get married! I'm turning __**thirty **__in a couple of months' time, and I'm __**still **__not engaged, let alone in an actual relationship! :( . Yeah, I know, you always think that the three of us pretty much only ever have boyfriends who last us a couple of months, but believe me when I say that all three of us wanna be in your shoes right now and settle into a committed relationship…cept actually being with Ash, of course – we're not __**that **__desperate, that we'd go for guys who are so much younger than us!…lol ^^ . _

_Well, I guess this is it for this congrats card. I'm beginning to run out of space, here :S . _

_Love you!_

_Daisy_

…_and Violet!_

…_and Lily!_

_

* * *

_

"…that was weird," I murmured, my eyes still fixed upon the awkward part where Daisy mentioned me in her card. Brock was sniggering from behind me, doing his best to keep quiet, albeit failing miserably as I looked at him from the corner of my eye, a tired expression on my face.

"Well, let's look through some more!" Misty smiled as we rummaged through more letters.

My eyes flickered. "Hey look! There's some letters here, from Professors Oak, Elm, Birch, Rowan, and Iv-"

"_Don't say that name!"_ Brock wailed.

"Oh…hehe…sorry, Brock," I chuckled.

"Let's look here…" Misty flicked through her pile, "there's one from Duplica, one from Flannery, one from Lily, the magician we met in Johto…you remember the time you were turned into a Pikachu, don't you?" she smiled at me, causing me to grin at the memory, "another from Erika, and…O_h! There's one from the Maples!_"

"Really? Let's see!" I said as Brock and I leaned over her shoulders again, to look at the letter from May, Max, Norman and Caroline. There were notably three different sets of writing.

* * *

_Dear Ash and Misty,_

_Congratulations! All of us hope that you'll have the most wonderful days together in your new life. Unfortunately, Norman couldn't get the chance to write on this card, as he has a gym leaders' conference at Ever Grande City which he had to attend right away after coming back to Hoenn. However, he has asked me to extend you his good wishes on his behalf._

_I hope that your lives are filled with joy and happiness._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Caroline_

_###  
_

_Hi guys!_

_The wedding was wonderful yesterday! Congratulations! It makes me dream on about the day that Drew will…oh, never mind – it's too embarrassing for me to say it! ^^ . Oh yeah – Drew says congratulations as well!_

_Anyway, I hope you guys had a great honeymoon, and that you're happy with each other forever._

_Love you both,_

_May _

_###  
_

_Dear Ash and Misty,_

_Firstly, I'd like to give you my sincere congratulations on your wedding yesterday, and that…nah, who am I kidding – let's forget all the formalities! __ The wedding was absolutely great, and it was really nice to meet Professor Elm again, as well as Professor Ivy for the first time._

_

* * *

_

"_Not that name! Again!_" Brock wailed as Misty read the fateful word.

"Oops…Sorry, Brock," Misty grinned as she continued to read.

* * *

_Again, I hope the two of you have a great life together, and I wish you all the best!_

_Max_

_

* * *

_

"It's so sweet of them to send us a letter like this! We've _got _to pay them a visit sometime after we've moved to the Seafoam Islands!" Misty smiled after putting the card back into its envelope and placing it gently upon my desk.

"Huh? The Seafoam Islands?" Brock questioned.

"Yeah. We're thinking about moving there, cos' Misty loves the seaside and all," I said.

"That sounds great! I've got good memories of that place!" he replied cheerfully.

"Let's see some more…" I said, flicking through another pile, "Hey, there's one from Melody! And Bianca and Lorenzo!"

Misty then pinched my cheek, out of jealousy. "Hand them here. Let me read them myself at some other point in time."

"Owowow..ok, ok!" I frowned, handing her the pair.

"Hey! There's five here – one from each of the Orange Islands gym leaders!" Misty cried. I extended my arm out, stretching my fingers outwards at her. "Hey, what's the big deal, Ash?"

"Rudy and Danny's letters. Gimme. It's only fair, Mist," I said.

"_Fine_," she sighed, handing them to me before murmuring to herself quietly, "_Ass Ketchum..._"

"_What did you just call me_?" I raised my voice slightly.

"Nothing! I just called you by your name, honey. Is there a problem with that?" she replied teasingly, while smiling delicately as if she was some kind of angel.

"You _called _me something! I wanna know what you said just now-mmphff!" I exclaimed, before my voice was cut off as she kissed me deeply.

"There. That better now?" she winked.

"…" I closed my eyes, sighing before turning around to look at another pile. I always hated it when she suddenly decides to shut me up like that in an argument, but damn! Those kinda times were when she'd give me the best kisses ever, and it always succeeded in stopping any argument we'd have.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," Brock said, taking out an envelope from his inner jacket pocket and holding it towards us, "This one's from my parents. Why don't you guys read it later on?"

"Thanks, Brock! It's been a long time since we last visited your parents, and it was a shame they couldn't come because of all your siblings," Misty smiled, receiving the letter from him.

"Hey look! There's one from Dawn!" I said, picking the letter out of the pile after it caught my eye.

* * *

_Dear Ash,_

_How are you? I can't believe that it's already been several years since our journeys together through Sinnoh! I heard about your wedding, and I felt so bad not being able to come for it, because of the great distance and all… ;( . _

_Oh, I almost forgot – I've got something to tell you, and it's a real surprise! I've had a boyfriend for a couple of months now, and you'll __**never **__guess who it is. Ready?_

_It's Paul! He's been **really **nice to me ever since we became a couple – losing to you in the Suzuran Conference changed him **entirely**, both as a trainer and a person. At first, when I saw him again, he was still fairly stiff with his feelings, but definitely not as cold as he used to be. And he smiles often now, as well! He's the cutest when he does!  
_

_Once more, I hope you have a wonderful married life. I've never met Misty before, but I'm sure she'll be a great partner to you, and that you'll both be happy. Who knows? Maybe we'll see each other again soon!_

_Yours truly,_

_Dawn_

_

* * *

_

"Wow. Dawn's with Paul now? Fancy that!" Brock said.

"Yeah. Surprised _me, _as well," I replied.

"Huh? Who's Paul, anyway?" Misty asked.

"Oh, right. Paul was my main rival while I traveled through Sinnoh with Brock and Dawn. His personality used to be…well…how should I put it…" I said, scratching the back of my head, "Gary times two, in terms of him showing no love for his Pokémon, constantly pushing them to win. He used to release some Pokémon immediately after catching them, if he deemed them as anything but strong. But I think all that's changed now, as he's with Dawn."

"That's a relief," Misty replied, "I can't imagine a world filled with Garys!"

"That's cos you didn't grow up with him around!" I grinned. "Well, let's keep looking!"

"Over here! This one's from Sabrina!" Misty cried after a few seconds of searching.

"Sa…Sabrina?" Brock murmured, looking at it.

"Well? Go on- read it, Mist!" I said.

* * *

_Dear Ash and Misty,_

_How are you? Congratulations again on such a lovely wedding – and thank you so much for the bouquet, Misty! The flowers are beautiful __ . _

_I told my dad about how the wedding went yesterday. He says hi, and that he hopes that the two of you spend a wonderful time together. Oh, and Haunter says hi, too! …well, to be honest, when I asked him whether he had anything to say, he responded only by licking me clean across my face...so I took that as a 'yes', and 'congratulations' message. (I've still got saliva on the side of my face! Yuck! )  
_

_Anyway, I know that the two of you will end up being a great couple – it doesn't take a psychic to tell things such as that! ^^ . _

_Oh, and one more thing – if Brock just happens to be with you, or the next time you see him, please tell him that I love him very much._

_See ya~ _

_Sabrina_

_

* * *

_

"That's so sweet of Sabrina!" Misty smiled, "It's a pity she's so busy with her gym and all. I'd really love to spend more time with her."

I looked over my shoulder, to see Brock holding his fingers to his eyes. "Huh? What's the matter, Brock?" I asked.

"It must be the onions…that I chopped while helping your mom with breakfast in the morning…making my eyes water!" he uttered between sniffs.

I grinned. "You miss her, don't you?"

Brock sniffed some more, before painfully exhaling. "…yeah…"

"There, there, buddy," I said, patting his back to comfort him as Misty did the same, "Who knows what might happen in the future? Someday, in a few years, the two of you might click on again, and have all the time in the world for each other!"

"…you really think so?" he sobbed.

"Of _course_, Brock!" Misty comforted, "I'm sure everything will turn out for the best!"

"You know what?" he replied, bringing his head up with newly-found enthusiasm, "I think you guys just might be right!"

"Pi~ka," Pikachu smiled from on top of a pile of letters.

"Tea is ready!" came Mom's voice from downstairs, causing my ears to jolt.

"Come on, Pikachu, let's go eat!" I jumped off the bed.

"Pipi!" he responded, running after me.

"…some things about him will never change," Misty chuckled.

* * *

"So, honey, have the two of you decided where you're going to live?" Mom asked as we each took a sip of tea.

"Yeah, mom, we have," I said "We're thinking about heading off to live in the Seafoam Islands. There was a house advertised in the real estate brochure at our hotel, and Misty loves the seaside."

"That's great, sweetie! I'm so happy for the both of you!" Mom smiled broadly.

"Although, Ash didn't really want to go there at first," Misty said.

"Why's that, Ash?" Mom asked.

"It's just that…I wanted to stay close to you, mom. In case you needed me for anything. I left you alone for such a long time in between my journeys throughout each of the different regions, and I just thought that…it might be better if I keep you close company, now that I'm gonna settle down and live with Misty," I explained.

"Ohh, that's so thoughtful of you, dear! But don't worry – I'll be just fine!" she responded.

"…really?" I said, looking at her.

"Mhm," she nodded, "and besides, Mimey's around to help me! I want you to be happy in your new life, honey, without constantly worrying about me all the time."

I closed my eyes, letting out small breaths of relief and reassurance. "…thanks, mom."

* * *

Minutes later, after having finished with tea, I prepared to go and visit Professor Oak at his lab, with Misty. Brock, deciding that it was time for him to return to Pewter, came out of the door with us with his bag strapped onto his back.

"Well, we're going off to Professor Oak's lab now. Take care, mom!" I looked at her over my shoulder, waving my right hand.

"Bye, Delia!" Misty waved.

"Bye, Mrs. Ketchum!" Brock called out.

"Have a nice day, all of you!" Mom said brightly, waving back from the doorway. After a few seconds, she went back inside, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Brock, do you want a ride to Pewter? How about I get Charizard or Pidgeot to give you a lift?" I asked.

"Nah, that's alright, Ash," he insisted, shaking his palm in front of him.

"You sure? Don't worry – it's no problem!"

"I'm not really the flying-kind-of-person, to be honest. I prefer to stay on the ground. Why else do you think I'm the Pewter City gym leader?" he laughed.

"OK then," I smiled, clasping hands with him, "We'll see you again sometime."

"Sure thing," he replied.

"Bye, Brock. I'll miss you!" Misty said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Same to you, Misty."

We then split up, Brock heading off to Pewter on foot while Misty and I headed to Professor Oak's, holding hands. While walking, I turned my head sideways to look at Misty. Her long, untied hair fluttered and flowed gracefully as she walked. Although she usually had it done up in her trademark ponytail, her hair was very beautiful whenever she had it down; particularly during her mermaid shows.

"Hey, Mist," I said.

"What is it, Ash?" she turned to me.

"Has anyone ever told you how incredibly sexy you look when you have your hair down? You should do it like that more often," I grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, stop it," she giggled, smiling as she kissed me on the cheek.

* * *

**(Delia's POV)**

"He's gone again…" I sighed, leaning my back against the door as a teardrop rolled down my cheek. I reached down into my skirt pocket, pulling out another envelope which I had intentionally removed from the pile upon seeing it, keeping its existence a secret, even from Brock while he was staying here. After reopening the envelope, I unfolded the letter which caused me grievous emotional pain to read, as it brought back memories of the past which I always tried to forget. Atop of the page lay a crimson-red "R" in bold font, followed by a personal message from an individual whom I thought I'd never hear from again…

* * *

_Dear Delia,_

_It is hard to believe that it has been close to twenty years since last we met. I trust you've been well, my dear? You may be wondering how, after all these years, that I have finally reached you once more. I'm sure that should you ask your son about it, he would immediately point out to two of my agents who have been following him for quite a long time, albeit failing miserably to achieve their main objective._

_But first of all, I must extend my own congratulations to your son, Ash Ketchum. Although he may have meddled with my plans on a number of occasions, it can be accepted that he has acquired that tendency from his father. After all, the two are so alike one another; they had both acquired the title of Pokémon Master, but chose to relinquish it for love - a foolish thing to do, indeed. _

_He once had the choice to join me. Just like you and our old friend Chris, who unfortunately is not present in this world, today. If __**you**__ had done so, I would have given you everything in the world which your heart could ever possibly desire. But you said no – No to a life of comfort. No to a life of luxury… No to a life with me. Instead, you chose him, and thus a life of simplicity and anonymity. Why, Delia? I offered you the world, and yet you left me for him. Although I did lie to you in an attempt to win your heart away from him, can't you see that it was for love? My love for you was just as powerful as his, if not stronger. And young Ash would be the next successor to my grand organization, with his wife by his side, of course, if that is what he'd have wished for. But you denied that golden future for him. Even though he is Chris' son, I would have treated him as if he were my own, should you have returned to me. I would have even placed him before my own son, to be my heir in Team Rocket, due to his wondrous skill with Pokémon, and his potential for greatness, which was rivaled by almost none. _

_But let us not dwell on such miserable past events. The past is the past, and that is how it should be kept – no more than a memory, yes? I've written you this letter simply to represent my good will, both to you and your son, as well as his newly-wedded wife. There are no such 'strings' attached, as you would imagine._

_Take care, my dear Delia, until we meet again. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Giovanni_

_

* * *

_

**(End of Chapter 3)**

**A/N:** That's Chapter 3 finished. I'm going to write a story focused on Delia, Ash's dad and Giovanni after I finish this series (and then another on Professor Oak's adventures after that. My story list and their lengths are gonna end up being so massive… _ ), so Delia taking out Giovanni's letter in this chapter is kinda foreshadowing that eventual story, I guess. I've basically finished the plot for every single book, from Book II-VI in this series, so after my exams finish in November, I'm gonna be writing far more as I have more time available.

Yeah, I added Ikarishipping to my story. Paul and Dawn's relationship will become a pretty major theme for Book V, but again, I don't wanna give away spoilers beyond that. I didn't want to write the contents of ALL the letters, as that would take forever, and I'll run out of ideas.

Reading this over after I had finished editing it, I can see that there's CRAPLOADS of horizontal ruler lines because of the letters from each of the characters...is it too annoying to read? Please comment about it if it is, and give me your suggestions as to how to improve it if it is annoying.

I was wondering, but at what time do you guys normally get onto to read stories? Whenever I upload a new chapter, I do it at approximately 11pm-midnight over here in Melbourne, Australia, which is about 9am-ish in New York, according to a world time site I use. From the site, I thought that the most appropriate time for me to upload is when it's 10am here (and 7pm-ish in New York), but I seriously can't get up at 10am on weekends/holidays cos I'm not a morning-person :S . I've been getting a modest number of hits/visitors to my stories, as a result of the timing, so I was wondering if I could get some tips for that.

Also, because this story is rated M, I'm gonna get far fewer hits/visitors/views than in my previous book, due to 's M-rated story filtering. So please leave your reviews, as seeing more reviews gives me greater enthusiasm to write on. Thank you!


	5. Double Trouble Again

**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo Entertainment.

This is the **second **'Book' of a total of **six** in this series.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Double Trouble Again**

"Hello, is anybody in?" I called out upon entering the lab, before walking over as we saw him tweaking some machines located near the back of the building.

"Oh, hello there, you two!" the professor looked up, "Congratulations on your wedding once again!"

"Thanks, Professor Oak!"

"Thank you!" we said, one after the other.

"Hi, you guys! Good to see you again!" Tracey smiled, looking over at us while he took care of paperwork on a nearby desk.

"Hey, Tracey!" Misty smiled as I waved at him. "It was great to see you at the wedding!"

"Uhh, Professor?" I asked, looking around and noticing the absence of a certain person who would always drive me nuts whenever I saw him. "Where's Gary? He was here just yesterday at the wedding!"

"Oh! Gary went to Goldenrod City to visit his girlfriend, Amanda. He told me that he'll be away for a couple of days," he explained, "But first of all, Ash, I've got a pleasant surprise for you!"

"Really? What is it?" I said optimistically.

"Hahaha…you'll see," he chuckled.

"…eh?" I scratched my head, puzzled at what he could have meant. Then, darkness enveloped me as something furry jumped onto the back of my head, covering my eyes with a pair of thick hands which resembled boxing gloves, more than anything. The creature secured both my eyes with one arm whilst reaching upwards and touching the top of my hand with the other, before he let out a small sigh of disappointment. "What the - . I can't see anything! What's going on?" I cried.

"Now, now, that's enough, there. Come off him now," the professor laughed, as the hands which blindfolded me came off of my eyes. I looked down, to see a very familiar sight which I had not seen for many years.

"Prime~" chuckled my old Pokémon.

"Huh? Primeape!" I cried, startled. "How did _you_ get here?"

"He came here just this morning, and was brought over by Anthony. Anthony told me that after you left Primeape in his care, he became the champion of the P1 Grand Prix within just barely a year. Ever since then, he was the undefeated grand champion, before he decided to call time on his Champion status, because he wanted a change in lifestyle," Professor Oak said.

"Wow! Undefeated champion! That's quite an achievement!" Misty said, crouching down and gently scratching the back of Primeape's ear, which he seemed to enjoy very much.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu smiled, walking over and holding out his paw at Primeape, who responded with a soft knuckle. Primeape now seemed to be surprisingly well-mannered in terms of controlling his temper, but nonetheless still had the features of a mischievous troublemaker who would gleefully play pranks on me every now and again - something which he and Glalie had in common.

"Hey, buddy, it's been a long time! It's good to see you again," I said as I shook his hand. Primeape, however, seemed to be a little disappointed, as his head drooped downwards. "Huh, what's the matter?"

"I think…he wishes you were wearing something that brought back old memories," Misty winked at me.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes, putting on a frustrated face. "_You, mister, _are the densest person I've met in my entire life," she growled, tapping the top of my head, separating numerous strands of hair in the process.

"Oh…right…my hat," I grinned, rubbing the back of my uncovered head. "I don't wear it anymore. Sorry, buddy."

"Prime~" he sighed again.

"Well anyway, has anything new been going on around here in the past few days? I couldn't visit for the last week, because of wedding preparations and all," I said.

"Not much, Ash. Although Squirtle's gone off again, after receiving a message from the Officer Jenny who's with the Squirtle Squad. I believe that at the moment, they're in a town in the vicinity of Route 3, between Pewter City and Mt. Moon."

I smiled and nodded. Over the years, the Squirtle Squad had become one of the top fire-fighting groups in all of Kanto; a few of them had evolved into Wartortles, bolstering the power of their combined Water Gun and Hydro Pump attacks, which surpassed even the power of a couple of fire trucks. Although he himself had not evolved, Squirtle remained as the sole leader of their group, as his power was still superior due to the vast battle experience he gained over our travels – a characteristic he shared with Bulbasaur, when compared to their evolved forms.

"Professor, I'm here!" a cheerful voice rang from the doorway, causing us all to look behind us. It was a little girl, who was no doubt here to receive her first starter Pokémon.

"Oh, hello, Melanie! I suppose you're here to choose your very first Pokémon?" Professor Oak said in a pleasant tone, turning around to face the soon-to-be trainer.

"Yup! Can I see the three I can choose from?" she beamed.

"When we have kids, promise me that they'll be active like _her_, and not lazy like _you_, honey." Misty leaned sideways and whispered into my ear, drawing a temporary glare from the side of my eye.

"Sure! Right this way! Tracey and I will explain all three Pokémon to you!" the Professor said, gesturing Melanie to follow him. The little girl skipped to his side optimistically, before her mouth gaped wide as she looked at me and Misty.

"Hey! Aren't you…" she murmured, pointing her finger upwards at me.

"Ash Ketchum? Yep, that's me. I'm guessing you heard about me through- mmpppf!" I said proudly, before my mouth was blocked all of a sudden by Misty's hand.

"Trust _you _to not be overly _proud_ about things, as well," she said, her right eyebrow twitching with frustration.

"Oh! And you're…you're Misty Waterflower, aren't you?" Melanie said, turning her face towards Misty, "Oh, um, excuse me…I guess I should call you Misty Ketchum now, right?"

'_Misty Ketchum? That sure sounds like a weird combination,' _I thought. Looking at Misty's perplexed face, I was convinced she was thinking the same.

"Umm, yeah…" Misty replied, "I _guess_ you could say that…"

"Pleased to meet you!" Melanie smiled.

"Now why can't _you _be more like that as well, honey?" Misty said to me again, "I still remember. Every single time you came across a gym leader, you'd always be like, 'I'm Ash Ketchum, and I'm here to win a gym badge!'. No 'Pleased to meet you', no 'Glad to make your acquaintance', not even a simple 'hello'! No nothing! Even to female trainers like Erika, Sabrina, or Cissy!"

Although I did my best to keep a straight face on the outside, on the inside, I was boiling hotter than Blaine's gym on Cinnabar Island. As much as I wanted to shout back and argue with her like the old days of our childhood, I loved her too much at present to do that. Things were only made worse though, as Tracey started to snigger silently.

"Oh, but Misty, I'm sure he's developed a lot since then. Now come on – I'll take you all to the research room, where the three starters are located!" Professor Oak said.

* * *

**(At the research room)**

"Now, Melanie, Tracey and I will explain the three starter Pokémon of Kanto to you," the Professor said upon stopping in front of the large, round table containing the Pokéballs of the three starters. "First of all is Bulbasaur – a grass-type Pokémon," he started, releasing the Pokémon.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" it cried out happily upon coming out onto the lab floor.

"The grass-type, in its own right, is mainly a supporting type which best suited for lengthy battles, due to it being able to learn moves such as Leech seed, Absorb, Giga Drain, and in the case of part-poison grass Pokémon such as the Bulbasaur evolution line, they can also learn poison-type moves such as Toxic. As such, the longer a battle is, the more it favors the grass type. Also, as the first two gyms of the Kanto region are of the Rock and Water types, many trainers choose to start their journey with the grass-type Bulbasaur. Using the grass-type can also be a very risky business, however, as many trainers tend to favor Pokémon which rely on special attacks, such as Flamethrower and Ice Beam, which can be devastating against a grass-type. The grass type is strong against Water, Rock and Ground types, but weak against the Fire, Ice, Bug, Flying and Poison types: in short, it's strong against three out of the seventeen Pokémon types, but weak against five, in terms of super-effectiveness. What do you think, Melanie?" the Professor explained.

"It looks really energetic!" she replied, looking at the smiling, active Bulbasaur, "But…what are the other two Pokémon, professor?"

"Oh, alright. So you want to have a look at all three before making your decision? A very wise choice, Melanie," Professor Oak smiled. "I'll let Tracey give you an explanation of Squirtle, the next starter Pokémon."

"Ahem," Tracey started, clearing his voice. "Squirtle is a tortoise-based Pokémon, and as such, is a water-type," he said, releasing Squirtle from its Pokéball.

"Squirtle, squirt!" it happily cried, waving its arms in the air in a stretching fashion.

"The water-type is quite a balanced one in terms of stats, with high defence and special defence, giving it more freedom in attack. The water type is strong against the Fire, Rock and Ground types, but weak again the Grass and Electric types. However, many water-type Pokémon are able to hold their own against the Grass-type, due to them being able to learn Ice-type moves such as Ice Beam – Blastoise, Squirtle's final evolved form, being one of them. The water-type is a very good choice as an all-rounder Pokémon, as it is able to withstand a lot of damage while also being able to deal quite a bit of damage itself. Water-type Pokémon are also able to carry you around on sea, provided that they are large enough, like Blastoise, Gyarados and Cloyster. Also, they are an all-round good choice for taking on the gyms on the Kanto region, as they can stand up very well to the first two gyms, and hold their own against other types, too," Tracey said.

"Cool! And what about the final Pokémon?" Melanie asked.

"The final Pokémon," said Professor Oak, releasing the last Pokéball, "is the fire-type, Charmander."

The light of the beam of the Pokéball subsided, revealing the small Charmander who stood before Melanie. My eyes widened slightly, as I recognized the shy Pokémon who shook slightly in a timid manner – he was Charizard's son.

"The fire-type is a highly offensive type, able to deal tremendous amounts of damage in a short amount of time, depending on the battle. However, they are very fragile defensively – this has caused some to liken the fire-type to a glass cannon; they can be a very destructive force, yet are very fragile at the same time. Therefore, you must be extra careful during battle, to ensure that your fire-type Pokémon don't become too immersed in attack, that they neglect defence. Charizard, Charmander's final evolved form, is also able to fly, thus enabling it to carry you in the air. The fire type is strong against the Grass, Bug, Ice and Steel types, but weak against the Water, Ground and Rock types. Oh, and I should also point out while I'm at it – as the first two gyms in the Kanto region are of the Rock and Water type, you must be extremely patient when raising Charmander, or also catch other Pokemon types to make up for its weakness in the two gyms. So, Melanie, which of the three types do you most fancy?" Professor Oak pointed his arm at the three starters standing next to each other, as Melanie held her chin with her hand in thought.

"Erm…I think I'll pick…Charmander!" she declared, pointing at the small dragon who winced shyly.

"Hmm…strange," the professor said, "he's normally quite the energetic type, but for some reason, he's acting very diffidently at the moment."

"Maybe he just doesn't wanna leave his dad…" I mumbled quietly, heard by no-one.

Our silence was suddenly cut out by a loud thudding noise outside, followed by the roar of a great machine on wheels. _Not __**them**__ again…_

"Well, that could mean only one thing," Misty sighed, "…they're at it again."

* * *

We all ran outside, confirming that our initial thoughts were correct, as we saw Team Rocket terrorizing the Pokémon of the lab with yet another of their mechas. A steel-plated vehicle rumbled towards us, waving two long, tube-like arms with claws which protruded from either side – no doubt designed for nabbing Pokémon. In the cockpit behind a glass screen were Jessie, James and Meowth; James at the wheel, while Jessie and Meowth seemed to be the ones controlling the arms.

"What do you think gives you the right to come here and cause trouble?" Misty fumed, before slapping her forehead. "Crap…I shouldn't have used_ that _word…"

"…Did she just say…" Jessie turned an eye towards us.

"…trouble?" James finished.

_I think you must have meant, 'Prepare for trouble!'_

_You're in for it now, so make it double!_

_To protect the world from devastation._

_To unite all peoples within our nation._

_To denounce the evils of truth and…_

"Wo~buffet!" the Pokémon cried boisterously, bursting out of its Pokéball out of cue and squeezing between them, causing James to squeal as his cheek comically pressed against the glass.

"**Not** _now, _you _**idiot**_!" Jessie shouted angrily, bringing her knuckle down hard and fast onto the top of Wobbuffet's head before recalling him into his ball. "Now…where was I-" she turned her head, before wincing as Charizard came flying in with a Flamethrower attack which came off the reinforced-glass protecting them. Charmander, who stood by Melanie, looked on with admiration and awe at his father's magnificent display of power.

"Screw da' motto – let's get on wid' it!" Meowth said in frustration.

"Right!" James replied, placing his hand on the control panel.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Jessie said in a dumbfounded manner, pointing towards me and Misty. "Are those rings around their fingers…"

"Huh? What rings?" Meowth and James leaned forward to have a closer look.

"They're our wedding rings! Why do _you_ care about them anyway?" Misty yelled again.

"Wedding rings? But surely you must only be _twenty_ at this point in time!" Jessie said confusedly, before her expression turned into one of frustration and anger as she turned to James, who drew back away from her in fear, squealing like a scared mouse. Jessie lurched forward, shaking him back and forth by the collar. "Dammit, James, we're _**THIRTY**_ already! Thirty! Thirty, and still not even _**married**_! I should even be a _**mother**_ by now! Those _**damn**_ parents of yours!"

By the time Jessie finished with him, James was in a completely dazed state, and sure to be seeing stars wheeling overhead as he landed back onto his seat.

"Hey, are those…" I said, pointing at them.

"_What_, twerp! You better not say anything else that'll do nothing but tick me off even further!" Jessie roared, her voice ringing out as loud as that of an Exploud.

"Oh, nothing. I was just gonna say, you actually look kinda cool in those new, black outfits," I said.

"Oh, why thank you!" Jessie replied, suddenly seeming completely happy. For some reason which I'll likely never find out, Jessie was always obsessed with her looks. "We got a promotion a short time ago!"

"Yeah! Advanced Troops now! It's quite a deal!" James smiled.

"Stop being distracted and wasting time, youse' two! Start nabbing some Pokémon!" Meowth cried.

"Eh? Oh, right!" James said, as he and Jessie immediately got back on the controls. Then to our shock, six more elongated arms – three on each side – shot upwards into the air and waved madly around, frightening some of the smaller Pokémon. Bulbasaur, however, bravely jumped forward and unleashed a Razor Leaf attack, which did little to stop the machine, which just kept on plodding forward. But then, a few of the leaves made contact with one of the arms, causing a small but noticeable tear to form on it. Trust those three to overlook minor details…

"That's it!" I shouted, clicking my fingers in realization, "Bulbasaur, keep up the Razor Leaf attack! Aim for the arms!"

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" he responded, unleashing another barrage of sharp leaves.

"Arbok! Seviper! Stop that twerp and his Pokémon!" Jessie ordered, pushing up a trap door on the top of the contraption and releasing her two snake Pokémon.

"Cha~bok!" Arbok screeched.

"Seviper~" Seviper hissed. The two of them soon started to spray a shower of sharp Poison Sting attacks, all aimed towards Bulbasaur.

"Balbasaur, watch out!" I cried. But Bulbasaur was too focused on taking down the arms of Team Rocket's machine, that he didn't pay attention to the poisonous needles coming his way…

"Golduck, Protect!" Misty reacted, releasing Golduck, who promptly rushed forward and in front of Bulbasaur, deflecting the Poison Sting attacks.

"Saur~" Bulbasaur smiled, thankful and relieved.

"Gol~" Golduck responded, looking back and giving him a thumbs up.

"Weezing, smokescreen! Go!" James cried, releasing his Pokémon which promptly filled the air with smoke which made it impossible to see what was going on around us. "Hurry! Now's the time! Just nab any Pokémon you can!"

Coughing, I could hear the rumbling of the contraption's wheels which bounded towards us. Reacting quickly, I dived sideways, holding Misty tightly as we both landed on the ground. Golduck and Bulbasaur quickly dodged the machine just in time, while Primeape leaped in the same direction as me. Charizard then let out a roar, before flapping his powerful wings and scattering the clouds of smoke. Pidgeot, alerted by the ruckus, also flew in alongside Butterfree, helping to clear the smog with their combined Whirlwind attack. After the smoke subsided, I looked up to see to my relief, that Professor Oak, Tracey and Melanie had also safely dodged the vehicle by diving in the opposite direction. However, I panicked as I realized that all was not well – Charmander had been nabbed by one of the arms of the vehicle, waving his little arms about and crying out frantically. Charizard immediately became enraged, the fire on his tail seemingly about to explode as he gave a savage roar of anger at the sight of his son about to be kidnapped.

"Quick! The whole lot of em's coming! Let's make a break for it and try again ano'der time!" Meowth hastily said, seeing some of my other Pokémon who rushed over to give us a hand. Their vehicle started to turn around, but wasn't very maneuverable due to its heavy, bulky body.

"Oh no, you don't!" I yelled, "Pikachu, give a Thunderbolt attack to put Arbok and Seviper off balance. Bulbasaur, aim your Solarbeam attack towards the bottom of the mecha, to put it off balance! Charizard, follow them closely and wait for my signal!" I then turned my head, to see that Donphan had arrived by my side. "Donaugh, use rollout, and Primeape, use mega punch, but make sure that you time it correctly, so that Bulbasaur's Solarbeam makes contact first with Seviper and Arbok, and Charizard frees Charmander, before you take down Team Rocket's vehicle. Did you get that?"

"Phan~" he responded, before lowering his head to prepare for his attack.

"Ready, guys?" I asked.

"Pika!"

"Bulba!"

"Char~"

"Prime~"

"Phan~" the five Pokémon replied. Bulbasaur immediately started to power up his Solarbeam attack, while Charizard took to the air and Donphan and Primeape waited patiently. Pikachu then let out a controlled Thunderbolt, dazing Arbok and Seviper while taking care not to hit Charmander recklessly.

"Arbok! Seviper! Keep them away with your Poison Sting!" Jessie ordered. After Pikachu's Thunderbolt ceased, the two Pokémon came back to their senses to unleash another wave of poisonous needles; Seviper towards Bulbasaur, and Arbok towards Charizard, who dodged and weaved past them.

"Donphan! Protect Bulbasaur! Defence curl!" I cried. Donphan reacted immediately, bounding in front of Bulbasaur and curling his body up just as the Poison Sting was about to make contact with him. The Poison Sting attacks, too weak to penetrate Donphan's thick hide, fell harmlessly onto the ground like bundles of hay.

Seviper, seeing that its attack was futile, joined Arbok in aiming its Poison Sting attack towards Charizard, who seemed to almost effortlessly dodge their attacks, due to his years of training in the Charicific Valley. After securing effective range, I yelled out to him. "Charizard, use Fire Blast now!" Charizard then unleashed a massive Fire Blast attack, sending Arbok and Seviper flying off the top of the mecha and onto the ground in a daze, causing them to faint. After taking them out, he severed the claw which held Charmander, and quickly flew to safety with his happy son in his arms.

"Now's your chance, Ash!" Misty said.

I nodded. "Alright, Bulbasaur, use your Solarbeam, now! Donphan, Primeape, _go_!"

"Bulba!"

"Donphan!"

"Prime!"

Donphan promptly rolled himself into a ball-like shape, and started to hurtle towards Team Rocket with violent velocity, accompanied by Primeape who ran at a furious pace, his fist glowing with a searing light. Bulbasaur shot his Solarbeam which hit the ground directly below the mecha, causing it to wobble uncontrollably, before Donphan and Primeape dealt the crushing blow, knocking it onto its side with unison timing. Its wheels soon stopped rotating, indicating that it was now completely out of power, following the attack.

"Oww, my head! That impact threw me up against the roof!" Meowth wailed after awhile.

"Please, Meowth…_don't_ mention _throwing up_…" James whined, as all three of them crawled out through the trap door on the top of their vehicle.

"Seviper, Arbok, return!" Jessie recalled them, after seeing that they were in no condition to continue.

"Now, can you please leave us alone?" I said as politely as possible after walking up to them, doing my best not to sound angry. "I don't wanna have to send you blasting off again – I'm quite sick of it now, after all these years."

"Guess we have no choice," James sulked, his head and arms sinking as the three of them started to trudge off sullenly.

"This is _your _fault again! I _told _you to make sure that none of these stupid mistakes happen while we're designing our mechas!" Jessie shouted at Meowth, after they had walked quite a distance away from us.

"_Me_? How's dis _my _fault?" Meowth complained, as their bickering carried on and on, before they were plain out of sight and audibility.

"Well, that's that again," I said, "God, I'm suddenly tired."

"_Please _tell me that you're legitimately _tired_, instead of mistaking it as being _hungry_ as you always do, honey," Misty whined, before I flicked her playfully on the arm. "Ow!" she cried, softly slapping me on the arm in return.

"Wow! That was really awesome! I wish that I could battle like that some day!" Melanie smiled.

"That was great, Ash!" Tracey remarked.

"Char~" Charizard growled softly, placing Charmander back onto the ground in front of Melanie, softly nudging his young son as a signal for him to go back to his trainer. But Charmander immediately burst into tears, turning around and running straight back to hold onto his father tightly.

"Huh? What's the matter with Charmander, professor?" Melanie looked up towards Professor Oak.

"Hmm…due to Ash's Charizard being his father, I'd say that he probably doesn't want to be apart from him," he answered.

"Wow! Really?" Melanie said in disbelief.

"Ash…shouldn't you do something?" Misty tugged my arm slightly.

"Mm," I nodded, and walked over to Charmander, crouching down before him. "Charmander, I know you don't wanna leave your dad, and that you'd much rather stay here. But don't you wanna eventually grow strong like him when you're older?"

"Char?" Charmander looked up at me with tearful and reluctant eyes, but showing that he was willing to listen.

"It's all a part of growing up – sometimes, you need to accomplish things by yourself, without people behind you to support you. But remember that they'll always be with you in your heart, and standing alongside you in spirit. And besides, I'm sure your dad would want you to grow as strong as him eventually, or maybe even surpass him in power. And the only way you can do that is by traveling with a trainer."

After a while of pondering, Charmander's frown turned upside down, as he cheerfully let out a cry. "Char!" he smiled, looking up to Charizard and giving him one last hug before heading over to Melanie with new-found confidence.

"Now, Melanie, I'm sure that your parents have explained to you how to catch Pokémon, as well as using various items, and the importance of Pokémon Centers?" Professor Oak said.

"Yup! I'm all set to go now, professor!" Melanie beamed optimistically.

"Alright then, off you go! Good luck now!" the professor waved, as Melanie began her very own Pokémon journey with Charmander walking beside her. I looked up at Charizard, who seemed to be quite emotional at the sight of his son leaving: a teardrop glistened on his eye, but stubbornly refused to fall.

"There, there, old buddy," I patted him on his left wing, "We all knew this day would come sooner or later. Don't cry."

"Groooar!" ("I'm _**not **_crying!") he roared, firing a flamethrower straight at my face. I hobbled around briefly, feeling like a dazed, charred mess before collapsing onto the ground, stunned. Regaining my senses, I got up and dusted myself, before walking over to Misty again.

"Good thing I got used to being burned by him so often, over the years," I said, before noticing that her head was down, and her facial expression considerably sullen. "What's the matter, Mist?"

"It just dawned on me…" she murmured glumly, "Someday, we'll have to see our children depart on their _own _Pokémon journeys. But I'm not sure if I can bear to see them go…"

I sighed at the thought, before drawing her into a hug to comfort her. "It's alright, Mist. My mom made the same hard decision before letting me start _my _journey all those years ago, after all. I'm sure you'll be able to take it just fine when that day eventually comes around."

She embraced me, placing both her hands upon my back and resting her head on my shoulder. "I hope so…"

"Well, it's nearly time to get back, and I wanna see Mom again before leaving. But first, could I see all my other Pokémon, Professor Oak?" I asked after Misty and I broke contact.

"Sure, Ash, right this way! I think I saw Snorlax sleeping over in that direction, not long ago. Last I looked, Sceptile and Infernape were also with him," he replied.

'_Trust you to sleep at all times, Snorlax,'_ I thought, rolling my eyes as Misty and I followed behind the professor.

* * *

**(Back at the hotel, night)**

After a long day spending time with the rest of my Pokémon at the lab as well as visiting Mom again for dinner, Misty and I both slid into bed together, exhausted. Pikachu and Marill took their usual places at the foot of our bed, yawning as they closed their eyes to go to sleep. We snuggled up close and rested our foreheads against each other, with little more in our minds besides how tired we were after today.

"Ash, I just realized, but," Misty whispered into my ear, "Shouldn't we do something about our future house? Like you know – take part in online auctions or something?"

"Oh yeah," I replied, "I should probably get onto that right away. I'll do it by this week."

"I swear, that it's the _umpteenth_ time I heard you make a promise like that, honey," she frowned, "But if it's not related to Pokémon, you almost _never_ end up doing it anyway, unless I constantly _hassle_ you about it."

I chuckled. She has such a good memory, this girl…

"Hey but Mist, could you do me one favor?" I asked her.

"What is it, Ash?" she replied, stroking me on the cheek with her hand.

"Could you please, from now on…_you know_…stop embarrassing me in front of other people by bringing up things about my behavior in the past?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Like today, when you said all those things about me in front of Melanie…about my habit of just demanding battles from gym leaders whenever I see them. I felt really embarrassed and a bit angry, to be honest, but I didn't wanna yell at you. We've definitely both grown out of our old habit of constantly arguing with each other, and well…I just can't find it within me to show my anger at such moments, because I love you. So please, no more of that, okay?" I said, holding her other hand which lay under the quilt.

"Okay, honey," she replied, kissing me on the cheek. "I'm sorry I did that."

"Don't worry, Mist. It's fine now," I said, kissing her on the lips. "Well…goodnight, Mist."

"Goodnight, Ash. I love you."

After watching over her until I was sure that she fell asleep, I kissed her delicately on the forehead and whispered softly to her, before drifting off to sleep.

"Sweet dreams…"

**(End of Chapter 4)**

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** That's the end of Chapter 4. I seriously can't upload another chapter until after November 15, because I've got to concentrate on my exams now, which are happening from October 28.

Just to ask for your opinion, do you guys mind if I skipped forward a month? It may seem like quite a sudden transition in terms of time, but I want to get the story moving as quickly as possible, with Ash and Misty heading to the Seafoam Islands where they'll live.

I also wanted to ask you for opinions regarding Ash and Misty's future children's names. Right now, I'm thinking about them having a boy and a girl, named Ethan and Claire (Claire, after the Nurse Joy in Book I, as Ash's way of remembering that she helped save Pikachu), but I may change them if I receive any good suggestions. Just keep in mind that I don't want any names that go along the lines of 'Ashton', 'Ashlee', etc, as I personally believe that Ash himself wouldn't want his children to live under the shadow created by his own reputation as a master trainer.

I've gotten a few reviewers who are concerned that Ethan will be similar to the 'Ethan' from the Heartgold/Soulsilver games, but I assure you that he will not. And besides, I actually haven't played any games besides those based in Kanto and Hoenn, so any name similarities between game characters in the Johto/Sinnoh regions and the characters in my Books, are purely coincidental.

Again, please go ahead and leave your reviews. :)


	6. The Start of a New Life

**Chapter 5**

**The Start of a New Life**

**(One month later)**

After four weeks of preparation, Misty and I had finally finished all of our preparations to move to our new home in the Seafoam Islands. To our great luck, the number of other people looking to buy the house in the online auction was quite small, and the earnings I received from winning the title of Pokémon Master after beating Lance two years ago was great enough to allow me to purchase the house. Although all of the furniture was also prepaid for, the process of acquiring them had drained the life out of me; Misty had constantly hassled me to look online for furniture dealers in the Seafoam Islands, and to buy all kinds of things including cookware, electronics, a bed, tables, chairs and sofas, and even cribs and toys for the baby, when we have one. On top of all this, my unfamiliarity with computers had only added to the level of frustration and stress I experienced. But after everything was done and sorted, it felt as if the weight of the world itself had been taken off my shoulders, allowing me to look forward to living with Misty, the love of my life since my childhood.

As I looked up to see Mom's face after we had finished packing all our luggage on the front porch of the house, she looked neither happy nor sullen, albeit doing her best to manage a smile. It was clear that although she was glad that Misty and I would finally get to live with each other, seeing us go brought sadness to her heart.

"Mom…are you alright?" I asked.

She pulled out a handkerchief, wiping away a teardrop which had just formed in her right eye. "Yes, honey, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's just that…seeing you go after all these years is so hard for me to bear."

I immediately went over to her and gave her a hug to comfort her, as Misty did the same. Mom embraced us both tightly, her tears trickling down onto my hair.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered into her ear.

"Delia…" Misty whimpered. Though related to her only by our marriage, Misty had always looked up to my mom as if she was her own, after returning to take care of the Cerulean Gym. As a result, leaving Mom behind hurt her as much as it hurt me.

After we broke contact, Pikachu leapt into Mom's arms, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Pika…"

"I'll miss you too, dear," Mom replied tearfully.

My ears then twitched as I heard the humming of a car's engine – Professor Oak had arrived to take us to the pier. Alongside him was Brock with his luggage in the back –he had gladly offered to help sort out the house upon our arrival, after we invited him to come along to stay with us for a few days.

"Hey, guys. We're not late, are we?" Brock asked.

"Not at all, Brock. Just in time, actually," I said, turning around to face them.

"Well, I guess this is it," Misty sighed, looking at the car and then back again at Mom. "Goodbye, Delia, and thank you. You've been like a mother to me, these last few years."

"Don't mention it, Misty," Mom smiled, "And besides…it's not like you're not going to drop by every now and then to say hi!"

"I guess…" Misty smiled, "We'll be sure to visit you sometime after we've settled in!"

After looking and smiling at each other for a brief time, I instinctively looked at my wristwatch. The S.S. Anne would be departing for the Seafoam Islands in about half an hour. It had been replaced a few years ago by the newly-built S.S. Louisa, which now conducted the around-the-world trip for which the S.S. Anne was once famous for. The S.S. Anne now ran a one-way cruise along the southern oceans of Kanto, from Pallet Town to Fuchsia City, stopping at the Seafoam Islands along the way.

"Come on, Mist. We should get going now," I said sadly, "Bye, Mom. I promise we'll come back to visit sometime."

"Goodbye, dears," Mom replied as Misty and I made our way to the car, placing our luggage in the trunk and seating ourselves in the back seats. Pikachu and Marill hopped onto our laps, looking out the window with us. Tears started to well up in both our eyes, as we looked at her wave to us from the porch.

"Alright then, here we go," Professor Oak said, pressing his foot on the gas, "I'll be back in the afternoon, Delia!" Then, the car began to make its way to the pier, causing her figure to grow smaller and smaller until she was no longer visible.

It didn't take long for me to think of her again. Feeling extremely heavy-hearted, I looked down and closed my eyes, before opening them again as I felt Misty lay her head on my shoulder.

"Are you okay, Mist?" I asked.

"Yeah, Ash. I'm fine…I think. Just tired," she murmured.

"Oh, come on. It was just luggage, honey. And besides, you'd use to literally drag me across floors by my collar occasionally, when you were real mad at me," I grinned.

She smiled. "It's not that…it's…something else."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I said, stroking her hair which shined brilliantly against the sunlight.

"I don't know…I've just been feeling odd for the last few days. Physically, I mean."

"Hmm…well, tell me if anything else comes up. I'll look after you, Mist," I reassured her.

"Thanks, Ash," she smiled, closing her eyes and leaning against my shoulder.

"Oh yeah," I said, "You called your sisters before we left, right?"

"I did. All three of them said that they're happy for us…_and _jealous," she grinned.

* * *

**(At the pier)**

"Well, here we are!" Professor Oak said, "Now, let's get all your luggage out of the trunk, and set you on your way."

We all got out of the car and took out our respective bags out of the trunk and onto the ground, with help from the professor. After checking that everything was accounted for, we said our farewells to him and made our way aboard the ship, showing our tickets to the inspectors at the entrance.

"Wow, it sure has been a long time since we came on this ship," Brock said as we walked down the corridor to our room number. "Do you guys remember the last time we were in here?"

"Sure do," I said, "_And _I remember all the great food there was available!"

"Honey, you _really _need to get over your obsession with food," Misty groaned, "Just consider yourself lucky that you always got plenty of exercise – otherwise, who knows how you might've turned out?"

"Hey! Are you implying that I would've turned _fat?_" I raged.

"Well, I always tried to go with recipes that are relatively low in fat during our travels, so I'd say things turned out for the best!" Brock smiled.

_Oh, brother…_

"Ehh…but anyways," I changed the subject, "I just hope we don't run into _them _again while we're here."

"Who?" Misty said, before immediately realising just exactly _who _I was talking about. "Oh…_them_…"

"Y'know, I've always wondered…" Brock said, placing his hand on his chin in thought, "How _did _Team Rocket ever acquire those tickets that they gave us, anyway? Surely they couldn't have actually afforded them."

"Beats me," I said.

"Brock, they're from _Team Rocket_…how do you think they'd _normally_ get their hands on such expensive tickets?" Misty said.

"_Ohhh…_right," Brock said in realisation.

"Huh? I'm afraid you lost me, Mist. What do you mean?" I asked.

She leaned her head in my direction, looking at me with a tired expression on her face as she spoke. "They _pickpocketed _them off some other people. Isn't that obvious?"

"_Oh_…" I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm such a dumbass…"

"Nah, I wouldn't say that you're '_stupid'_, honey," Misty said, "Just _dense_, that's all."

"…thanks a _lot _for reassuring me, Mist," I groaned.

* * *

After a while of walking, we finally came to our room and settled in, unpacking toiletries and a spare change of clothes we would wear the next day in the available wardrobes and dressers. Just as we fell back upon the nice comfy beds in our room, however, the P.A. system down the hallway rang out with an announcement.

"Attention all passengers, the S.S. Anne will now depart. Thank you for your patronage."

"Huh? We're leaving already? But I hardly even got to lie down!" I complained.

"Oh, stop being such a baby, Ash! Now come on – let's go and take a view!" Misty tugged my arm, before taking Marill in her arms. "Come on, Marill!"

"Marr!" he replied happily. Brock also got out of his bed and began to follow behind Misty.

"Ash! _Come on!_" she yelled at me.

"Alright~" I whined, reluctantly getting up. "Come on, Pikachu…"

"Pika!" he responded brightly, almost the complete reverse of how I was feeling.

"Boy…I got a feeling that he actually likes _her _more than he likes _me_," I said, looking on as Pikachu quickly ran after Misty.

As we ascended the stairs up to the deck, my eyes and head were still very sleepy. All I wanted right now was to go back to the comfy bed in our cabin…_and_ grab something to eat while I'm at it. But everything then changed, after we stepped onto the deck, greeted by a brilliant ray of sunlight and the sight of the beautifully sparkling ocean.

"Whoa…" I exhaled, standing still and dumbfounded.

"Come on, Ash, let's take a closer view!" Misty smiled, leading me to the side rails where we peered down at the water. A couple of dolphins were leaping up and down from the water alongside the ship, giggling merrily.

"Wow! That's so cool! I haven't seen dolphins in a long ti- urrrf!" I said, before drawing away from the rails and sitting on the floor.

"What's the matter, honey? Are you alright?" Misty said worriedly, immediately coming away from the rails and crouching before me.

"…I think I'm getting seasick…" I groaned, holding my stomach.

"Ash, how on earth are you seasick? After riding on many water Pokémon like Lapras, one would hardly imagine that you'd get seasick at all!" Brock said.

"Yeah, but…Riding on top of a water Pokémon and being on the deck of a ship are very different for me, Brock," I replied, "After all, water Pokémon have a way of controlling their movements and staying steady while on the water, don't they?"

"Hmm…I guess you're right," he responded.

"Do you wanna go back to the cabin, Ash? I'll go with you," Misty said, placing her hand on my cheek.

"Nah. I'll just have to get used to it. Besides, I don't wanna ruin it for _you_, Mist."

"Ash, but-"

"I'll be fine, honey. The air's much fresher up here than back down in the cabin, anyway."

"Alright," she smiled, helping me up to my feet again. "But tell me if you're feeling sick again, okay?"

We made our way back to the rails again, and surprisingly, my seasickness seemed to vanish altogether as I regained my familiarity with being on the ocean. Although I hadn't been out at sea ever since my return to Kanto more than two years ago, I was quickly getting used to it again now.

"Hey, why don't we let out our Pokémon from their Pokéballs? They should get some fresh air," I suggested.

"That's a good idea, Ash!" Misty said, reaching for her belt. "Come on out, guys!"

With a flash of light, Politoed, Golduck and Corsola appeared in front of us on the deck. Misty then turned back to the railing, and released Seaking and Gyarados onto the surface of the ocean. Free from the confinement of their Pokéballs, Golduck, Politoed and Corsola began to enjoy the warm sunlight on the deck with Marill, while Seaking and Gyarados swam alongside the ship. Brock and I soon followed suit; Brock releasing Sudowoodo, Croagunk, Geodude and Crobat, while I released Heracross, Infernape, Sceptile, Bulbasaur and Staraptor. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Geodude, Sudowoodo and Croagunk proceeded to run around and play with each other, until Bulbasaur became very surprised as he was lifted into the air by none other than Heracross, who immediately began to suck the sap of his bulb.

"Bulba, bulba…bulbasaur…" ("You just _had _to bring him along, didn't you…") he sighed at me, before being released as he softly tapped Heracross on the head with a Vine Whip.

"Hehehe…sorry, buddy," I grinned, holding the back of my head. Pikachu, Geodude, Sudowoodo and Croagunk began to giggle at Bulbasaur, who trudged back towards them, embarrassed.

"Sceptile~"

"Fer~" Sceptile and Infernape nodded to each other, before walking over to two vacant tanning chairs and lying down to take a nap.

"I swear, they must've picked that up from _Snorlax_ while I was away…" I moaned.

"Well, you can at least be thankful that _some _of them are active, Ash," Brock said, pointing at Crobat and Staraptor, who were flying freely together in the sky.

"I wish I could've brought more, or even _all _of my Pokémon with me," I said, "I'm gonna miss them all, and it feels so unsatisfying to just have six at one time."

"Hmm…I know what you mean," Brock replied, "I wish that as well for _my _Pokémon, but then again, some of them have to stay behind at the gym, after all."

"And _I _really wanted to bring some of my other Pokémon, as well," Misty added. "My two Starmies, Horsea, Caserin, Dewgong, and…" she stopped.

"What's wrong, Mist?" I asked.

"I miss…" she began to weep tears, "I miss Togetic…"

"There, there," I whispered, embracing her in a warm hug, "I'm sure he's alright at the Mirage Kingdom."

"You were lucky, Ash…" she continued, "Pidgeot, Butterfree and Primeape returned to you, but…my Togetic…my darling Togetic…I'll probably never see him again…"

"Mist…I…" I stammered, confounded for words. Marill then walked up to Misty and held her left leg gently with both its tiny hands.

"I'm sorry," Misty said, wiping away her tears, "I should be _happy_ right now. After all, it won't be long until we settle into our new life together, Ash."

Without saying any more, I smiled and kissed her on the lips, as she reciprocated my actions.

"_Man_…if only _Sabrina _could be here right now," Brock muttered, causing me and Misty to laugh softly.

* * *

**(Somewhere, below the depths of Kanto's oceans)**

**(3****rd****-person narrative)**

"…Hmm…_Interesting_…" said a man who was garbed completely in black. The features under his dark hood were almost completely invisible, save for two hellish eyes which glowed with a dark, bloody red aura. The crystal sphere held in the palm of his hand was surrounded by a ghostly haze, as it showed him the sight of Ash and Misty standing together on the deck of the S.S. Anne. "…so _this _is the 'Chosen One', and his beloved wife…hmph. He certainly doesn't look like much. What role could _he _possibly play in your grand design, master?"

A purplish haze then swirled around the chamber, which was near pitch-black. A tremendous power then filled the area, causing many of the corrupted shadow Pokémon within to cower in fear and pain.

"As pathetic and misguided as he may seem, young one, he _is _the Chosen One…you would do well not to underestimate him when the time comes, _or_ his powers of aura. Although he foolishly chooses to neglect such great power and potential, if provoked, he may become a dangerous foe, indeed. You must _always_ continue to observe his every move, for he could one day destroy us both, if we are not careful. Is that understood?" echoed a hoarse voice, reminiscent of the merciless hissing of death itself.

For a brief moment, the man felt as if he had been lost in time and space. Seeing the happy embrace of the two individuals within the vision of the crystal ball conjured up memories of his own past life…and of his long-lost wife who had died along with his daughter, many years ago. A single teardrop fell from his eye, which still burned with a hatred that was beyond even his own control. Then, without a second thought, his attention returned to the present. His loyalty to his master came before all else, as both his life and death was bound to his power and will – just as they were, since centuries past.

"…Yes, master…As you wish …"

**(End Chapter 5)**

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**A/N: **Wow. I never expected that I'd actually have time to do another chapter in my spare time, even while my exams are coming up… :S . I'm seriously not gonna get time to put up another chapter for about two weeks, though. The next _possible _chapter upload I might make, may be between November 8-14, where I have a gap of about a week separating my second-last exam, with my final Japanese Second-Language exam which is on November 15. But after all that, I'll have a lot of free time available, which I'm going to split between writing this fanfic, and composing music, which I haven't had the chance to do in ages due to school work.

Just to give you prior notification, the chapter lengths in this story from this point onward might vary considerably, as I'm following the details of a plot document I made for this story, about 4 months before writing the first chapter. I've already finished the entire lot of plot/plan documents for this entire series, so the consequential books will be like that as well.

Anyways, please leave your reviews again! :)


	7. The Fallen Hero

**Chapter 6**

**The Fallen Hero**

**(?'s POV)**

That boy…the sight of him and his young wife had brought about memories which I thought had been lost forever – that of my long-departed wife and child. It has been too long since last I beheld the sight of such an emotion, that I seem to have forgotten its name. Could it be…?

Happiness…

I can scarcely recall memories of my past life, which seems to be eons past. Memories of one's past life are blurry, by their very nature. And yet, the events of a single day remains forever etched into the deepest recesses of my mind, that it haunts me even to this day, several millennia after. The day my life changed forever, for the worst…

* * *

**(Flashback, Several millennia ago)**

"Julius, darling, wake up! It's morning!" my wife, Celia, woke me from my dreary state with a soothing voice. Looking up, a bright ray of sunlight shone upon her beautiful figure; her skin radiated with a warmth as she stroked my cheek, and her luscious, brown hair glistened against the sun. Her rich lips formed a heavenly smile, accompanied by her brown eyes which sparkled like jewels.

"Of _course_ it's morning, Celia…how else would the sun be blinding my eyes right now as I'm looking at you?" I grinned, caressing the side of her face. Grinning back, she planted a kiss upon my lips, before walking over to tend to our young girl of four years of age, Elysa, who was still sleeping peacefully in her blanket.

"She's such a beautiful child," Celia said softly, resting her head on my arm and smiling as she looked at Elysa. "She is strong in spirit, as well…_just like her father_."

"Are you sure? _Surely _that must come from _your _side of the family!" I smiled, receiving a kiss from her in reply.

After our morning meal together, I set out to collect food for tonight's dinner – an everyday task. Walking to the back garden, I was greeted by my six most trustworthy and loyal Pokémon: Kradus, Terra, Ares, Saturn, Jupiter, and my best companion, Mars. Upon seeing me, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn optimistically flapped their mighty wings, causing the grass and vegetables around us to flutter and shake vehemently. As if to restrain them, Kradus, Terra and Ares each placed their hands on the three dragons' fronts, calming them after some time had passed.

"We're going to go to the mainland to get our food today. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, come with me. Terra, Ares, Kradus, I want you to stay here and watch over Celia and Elysa. Alright?" I said. The three dragons immediately prepared to fly, whereas the three land-based Pokémon each gave a sigh of dejection. "Don't worry – we'll go searching on the island tomorrow, instead of the mainland. I promise!"

With a sigh, Terra, Ares and Kradus walked sulkily to the front of the house, as I mounted Mars. After taking off, I peered down to see a couple of the townsfolk waving at me, and waved back to them. Our village was a small one, located on an island to the south of the mainland, but our surroundings had enough resources and food for us to live comfortably, as well as arable land for agriculture on the lower grounds.

Looking up at the skies, I suddenly became concerned at the weather; what was a bright, blue morning sky was now replaced by several thick clouds, which looked reminiscent of an imminent storm. "Faster, Mars. The weather seems to be growing worse," I stressed, as we accelerated towards the mainland.

About an hour or so later, just as we finished gathering food for the night and were prepared to return to the island, the clouds all at once intensified into violent rainclouds, rendering the sky a torrid black. Light turned to darkness, my heart plummeting when I finally realized just where the eye of the storm was located; our island. Black smoke rose from almost every house, and the fields glowing with red fire. "Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, hurry! The village is in danger!" I shouted, immediately taking off with Mars while Saturn and Jupiter hastily followed.

The thick spirals of smoke grew only greater as time passed. We would not reach the village in time. Looking more closely through the smoke, I could barely make out the figures of a few Pokemon who were flying in the air, only to my great shock; they were none other than the powerful Pokémon of legend, Rayquaza, Lugia, Ho-oh, and the three Legendary Birds. For a reason which I will never truly know, they were all doing battle against each other, wreaking havoc on the island in the process due to the crossfire. But then, I caught sight of what looked to be an old man hooded and cloaked in white, standing atop of a small spire of rock, at risk of danger. Then, sighting me, he waved his arm outwards, beckoning me to come over to him.

"Sir, what are you doing out here? It's not safe!" I shouted as Mars drew upon and landed on the ground.

"Is your name Julius Aeneas?" he asked.

"How…how do you know my name?" I questioned.

"I am a prophet, sent here by Arceus himself to warn you of this event coming to pass…although I see that I am too late to have prevented it from happening, now," he looked down in shame. "But there is no time – you must listen to me if you are to save your village!" he cried.

"But how? How am I, a mere human, supposed to fight the legendary powers of the likes of Lugia, Ho-oh and Rayquaza? I am powerless compared to them, even with my skills in Aura!"

"There is _one _way, my young friend," he said in an unusually calmer tone. "First, you must give me your hand."

"What? How can that possibly do anyth-" I said, before being cut off as a massive SolarBeam attack struck the eastern parts of the island. Shortly afterwards, reply fire was shot back, as I recognized it as Ares' and Terra's combined Hyper Beam. "Where did _that _come from?"

"_That…_" the old man replied, his eyes dejected with hopelessness, "was Groudon…"

"_Groudon? _What on earth is happening here!" I shouted.

"This is of the Deceiver's doing," he said.

"Who?"

"The Deceiver…of course, the average man would never had heard of him…his secret has been kept secret for many thousands of years by a secret sect of prophets such as myself, for fear that some groups may begin to worship him, instead of Arceus himself…you are aware of the story passed down through generations, that Arceus is the sole Creator of the world, correct?"

"Y-yes…"

"In fact, there was not _one _Creator, but _two_. This Deceiver played an equal part in the creation of the world, but was of lesser power and majesty compared to Arceus. His secret jealousy and hate for Arceus intensified over the years, and when he discovered how to create the ultimate type of Pokémon through binding them in shadows and removing the presence of any emotion, he carried forth his plan of one day replacing Arceus as the sole superior being of the universe. But the greatest obstacle between him and his ascent to power were of course, the legendary Pokémon – Arceus' stewards on Earth, who had been charged with maintaining the balance of the elements. Combined, their powers would overwhelm him if they knew of his true intent. But divided, they could each be overcome, one by one. And so, the Deceiver turned them against one another through trickery and deceit, of which no-one knows. But come – we have spoken too long, and soon, all will be lost…unless you take what I have to offer you," the mysterious man spoke, extending his right hand towards me.

Looking around, it was clear that the situation was growing worse over time – the fires had intensified, and dangerously close to where our home was located. Ares and Terra's resistance waned, as they grew tired from the endless fighting. I faced the old man once again, peering down at the object held in his hand. "What is it?" I questioned.

"This, my friend, is none other than an artifact of Arceus himself – a portion of his divine power, if you like. It will give you the strength to stop this conflict here and now, and return the world to the peaceful state that once was," he looked up at me, holding the bright, cube-like object closer to me.

Although my suspicions – and also that of Mars, Saturn and Jupiter as they looked warily at the man – held me back at first from accepting his offer, the thought of my wife and child immediately drove me to place my hand upon the object. A terrible mistake, as I was soon about to find out…

My arm jerked about violently, repulsed by the effect that the foreign energy was having on my body – this was no power granted to me by Arceus, but nothing more than a trick. I was slowly losing control of my body and mind, the pain greater than a thousand needles piercing my skin. I looked up at the old man, whose once-fearful expression turned to a sadistic smile. He was not a prophet. His shining white robes vanished, to be replaced by a pitch-dark carapace, with multiple talons sprouting from his back. Mars, Jupiter and Saturn all immediately unleashed a DragonBreath attack, only for it to prove futile as the monster effortlessly flicked them aside like strands of grass.

"I thank you…my servant…" he hissed, "I…_am Apothes, the Deceiver_…"

_No…_

"Your village, and all life upon it, is now mine…your Pokémon will make fine minions to me…as will you," he chuckled.

"Jupiter…Saturn…go and save Celia and Elysa…" I spoke through gritted teeth, barely able to stand due to the paralysis and pain. Mars immediately unleashed a great Flamethrower upon the Deceiver, distracting him and allowing Jupiter and Saturn to fly towards the island. "Save them…_please_…"

"All…too…late…" the dark figure that loomed over me said, as my vision blurred before the world turned to blackness.

* * *

**(Hours later)**

"Wake up, Aeneas…_wake up_," called a voice, stirring me from my unconscious state. My surroundings were still as black as night, the only difference being that the quality of air around me was close to inhospitable, reeking of blood.

"What…what happened? Where am I?" I hoarsely choked.

"Do you not remember? Well, I may be able to enlighten you," the voice said. I lifted my head to behold the sight of Apothes once again, causing me to seethe in rage. His hand extended to the left, followed by the spark of fire from where he was pointing at. A large, black, scaly body became illuminated by the light, as I scarcely recognized the figure.

"M…Mars?" I whispered, looking into his eyes. The lively light that once encompassed it was now gone, replaced by a soulless gray, and his formerly golden skin a pitch-black hue. The rest of my Pokémon then stepped forward, revealing their terrible new forms to me. "Bastard! What have you done to my friends?" I shouted.

"Come, now…is that any way to call your new master?" the voice teasingly berated.

"M…master?" I stammered.

"Indeed. As you can already see, your once-loyal Pokémon are now but a shadow of their former selves, bound to my power. But before I give you my first command, I believe a little recount of the events which occurred after you lost consciousness, is in order," Apothes stated, walking towards me and gripping the top of my head with one of his talons, showing me a vision in my mind as to what happened.

The vision took place shortly after I had first lost consciousness. The sky was still black with murky clouds, and Jupiter and Saturn were long gone on their way back to the island. Mars was still resolutely standing by my side, refusing to let the monstrous being standing before us to harm me, as he unleashed another Flamethrower. But it was to no avail – Apothes' power was far beyond that of any ordinary Pokémon, as he knocked Mars out with a single ball of dark energy from his hand. Standing over my limp body, he stretched out his hand and chanted words which I could not understand. The eerie energy that once shone with a false white light now showed its true nature, forming into a swirling mist of black smoke which enveloped my entire body. Mars twisted and shrieked with pain, as he also began to be affected by Apothes' sorcery, his eyes rapidly switching to and fro between his normal dark brown, to a lifeless gray. Then, after several seconds of inner turmoil and torture, Mars ceased any movement, instead just looking forward with blank eyes. Jupiter and Saturn also twisted about in the air, falling into the sea before rising once again without any emotion. And back on the island, Terra and Ares' Hyper Beam attacks completely subsided into a silent hush.

Looking very content, Apothes levitated over to the island along with my sleeping figure, accompanied by Mars, Saturn and Jupiter, who followed him blindly. Once he came upon my own home, where my wife and daughter lay shaking on the floor as Ares, Terra and Kradus stood in front of them with menacing glares, he cracked a small smile with his lips, before turning his head to me. "They are your family, Julius…why don't you go and greet them? They must have missed you so…" he said gleefully, lifting one of his talons in their direction. Then, to my shock, I could see my soulless body inching towards them, my arm pulling out my hunting blade from behind me. My heart raced at the vision, not being able to bear the sight of what was inevitable. _I __**couldn't**__ have killed them…__**never**__ by my own hand…_My horror was only confirmed, however, as my arm lurched forward once I was standing directly over them, met by their screams of fear, before…_darkness…_

As the vision concluded, I threw myself backwards, away from the tyrant who threatened me with his very presence. My entire body was sweating and my lungs felt devoid of air, due to the repugnant sight of a deed which I surely could not have committed in my rightful mind. "You…what have you done?" I bellowed at him. "Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Flamethrower!" I ordered, pointing my finger at him, but to no effect – my Pokémon would not respond at all to my cries.

"It is pointless now, young Julius," he scoffed. "You are mine, and so are your Pokémon. And should you ever seek to free yourself of my influence in any futile manner…" his voice suddenly lowered into a growl as he held out his hand in the shape of a pincer, clenching my throat in a telekinetic grip. "…I will see to it that you are punished, accordingly. And do not even _think _that death itself will be your salvation from my power. The moment you came into contact with my powers of corruption, I gained complete control over both your life and death. Henceforth, you shall do as I command of you. You shall serve me unquestioningly, as I command of you…you will _die _as I command of you, but only when I will it."

Then, to my body's relief, he released me from his merciless hold, allowing me to gasp for air on the ground. Once I had recovered enough, I asked him another question. "What…what happened of my village, then? What happened with the battle?"

"Ah…I am glad that you asked, boy," he replied, "_**This**_…is your village."

"What? …I don't…understand…"

"In the midst of the battle, I personally saw to it that all life on the island – both human and of Pokémon which I deemed to be too weak to serve me – was utterly annihilated. I saw your island as the perfect target for facilitating my breeding experiment, turning average Pokémon into vastly powerful, perfect shadow variants of themselves – its size was small enough to drag down beneath the depths of the sea, where even Kyogre or Lugia will not be able to find it, but large enough that it will be able to produce a great number of minions in the future. In short, the chamber you are within at this very moment is the inner center of your island, which I have shaped and transformed to fit my designs. With my goal complete and the legendary Pokémon sufficiently worn down due to their battle, I saw it to be no longer necessary to conceal myself, thus making myself visible before all. It truly was amusing to see them growl and roar in anger, after they had realized that they had been fooled all along. In a futile attempt, they tried to defeat me, but to no purpose, for they were all too fatigued to cause me any concern. Arceus chooses such weak-minded servants as his stewards upon this earth, indeed…"

"Are you mad? You could destroy the balance of the earth itself! The quarrels of Pokémon such as Groudon and Kyogre are destructive enough on their own, but to combine it with the powers of the likes of Lugia and Ho-oh?" I yelled.

"Calm yourself, Aeneas," Apothes said, "Rest assured, they will not cause so much havoc as you so claim. Pokémon such as Groudon and Kyogre cause much destruction with their powers, yes, but even _they _must adhere to the will of Arceus, their Creator. Following the battle, all of the legendary Pokémon returned to their respective regions peacefully, albeit with great shame due to the misdeed they had committed. And indeed, Groudon and Kyogre will one day do combat again, but it is not today. Did you _really_ think that they would continue to fight due to their individual quarrels, even after bringing shame upon themselves by failing to carry out their most important duty and the will of Arceus – to safeguard the world from my influence?"

"You spoke before of your 'goal'…but what is it, truly?" I questioned.

"Domination. Plain, simple and straightforward domination over all life, both of that on this planet, and when the time comes, eventually all of existence itself. Though I am not currently in a position to do so, given our…_minuscule_ forces at present. But that itself will eventually change – one day, I shall have an _army _of shadow Pokémon, bred from this very fortress under the sea floor. Ultimately, it shall grow great enough, that I will be able assimilate all of existence under my rule, and overthrow Arceus himself as the supreme being of the universe by force," he said. "But for now, your servitude begins…you are now charged with the gathering of specimens of every single Pokémon in existence, as well as the breeding of my future army. And remember – I will not tolerate _any _form of weakness…if any of the captured Pokémon are pathetic species which will not eventually evolve into fierce fighters…_kill them_."

As the tyrannical figure departed the chamber, my eyes narrowed into a scornful glare. Although his back was turned to me, Apothes seemed to know exactly what I was doing, tilting his head briefly to the side before walking away and disappearing from my view. My life destroyed and my resolve finally broken, I stood up and walked sullenly towards the stone seat located at the back of the chamber, there to begin my new existence of what would be eternal servitude.

* * *

**(End Flashback)**

Those days are now far behind me, no more than a distant memory. I am what I am, now. My life belongs to him, and I must serve him till the end. My heart no longer knows or recognizes love, compassion, or any measure of comfort, instead chained and imprisoned by his influence. There is but one thing that I have yearned for, ever since that fateful day, and that is _death_. Death, so that my soul may be free once more, and be reunited with my family and remain with them in peace. But for that dream to come to fruition, the Prophecy of Arceus must be fulfilled as well: passed down for centuries by the _true _prophets of Arceus, it states that only the Chosen One's strength, combined with the power of Arceus himself, will be able to put an end to Apothes' power once and for all, but only after he is made to prove himself worthy of fulfilling the prophecy, by persevering through a trial of great hardship. And should he fail, the world will be turned to darkness. But what exactly this 'trial' consists of, no-one knows, as the scriptures of the old prophets have all been lost to the passage of time, and no prophet remains today.

Enjoy your time with your loving wife, Chosen One…for everything you know, love and cherish will soon be taken away from you, once my master's plan sets in motion. It will all begin…soon…

* * *

**(Seafoam Islands, night)**

**(Ash's POV)**

"Man, I'm tired!" I yawned, collapsing into a beach chair on the outer deck of the second storey of our house. Our new house was exactly the kind that Misty would surely love: it was right next to the beach, with the sound of waves softly rolling into the shore audible in the distance at night-time. Misty and Brock also strewed themselves on a beach chair each, exhausted from all the work we did today. Although we were helped by the Machoke and Machamps of the furniture dealers as well as some of our own Pokémon while moving all our furniture into place, it still took a lot out of us by the end of the day.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu sighed, walking up my chair and lying down on top of my chest in an exhausted heap.

"We're _all _tired, honey. Stop complaining," Misty moaned. Brock took a heavy sigh as well, as Croagunk surprisingly went over to his side not to give him one of his trademark Poison Jabs, but began to give his trainer what appeared to be some sort of massage, gently pressing upon his shoulders.

"It's about time you did something _nice _to me with those hands of yours, bud," Brock smiled. We all laughed softly before falling silent again, looking up at the star-filled night sky above.

"You know," I began, "This brings back a lot of memories of the times when we traveled together. We'd always use to just lay down together and look at the stars for ages. Do you guys remember?" I said.

"Yeah, I remember," Brock smiled, "Good times…"

"Hey, look!" Misty pointed up at the sky, "It's the North Star!"

"Hmm? Which one are you talking about?" I asked.

"Over there! Can't you see it?" she cried.

"Nope. Sorry. I'm hopeless with these kinda things," I said.

Misty sighed, placing her hand over her forehead. "Honey, do you know _anything _other than Pokémon training and pigging yourself out crazy with food?" I poked her arm. "Ow!"

"Hey, I see it as well, Misty!" Brock said.

"…I still don't get it…" I murmured, scratching my head.

"…scoot over…" Misty exhaled in frustration, before coming over to my chair.

"Hey, what the-? There's not enough room here for two, y'know!" I complained, as Misty suddenly forced me to move sideways and make room for her to lie down. But after seeing that there was indeed no room, she instead resorted to picking Pikachu up and placing him on her lap, as she laid herself down on top of me, resting her head on my chest.

"Give me your hand," she said, taking up my right arm which hung loose over the arm of my chair.

"It's not like you gave me much choice, is it?" I commented, causing her to grin. She then raised my hand up with hers, lifting it upwards and pointing it towards a specific section of the sky.

"See it over there? That one star that's bigger and shining brighter than any other that's next to it?" she asked.

"That? That one there?" I said.

"Yup, that's the one. The North Star. I remember my mom would always tell me heart-warming stories about it. She'd always say that if you make a pure-hearted wish on it, it would eventually come true," she said.

"Oh, I see…and just what did you wish for?" I smiled.

"…none of your business!" she grinned, turning her head and giving me a kiss on the lips. "But you're welcome to have a guess as to what it may be." Her smile then slowly turned into a sullen frown, as a teardrop started to form in the corner of her eye. "I miss her…"

"Your mom?" I whispered into her ear, receiving a slow nod from her in reply. "Y'know, you never really told me what happened with your parents. Daisy once told me that both your parents passed away when you were very young, but that was about all I knew."

"I…don't have the energy to talk about it right now, Ash, I'm sorry…it's all too much for me at the moment," she whimpered.

"That's alright, Mist. Perhaps another t-" I comforted her, before stopping as something came to my mind.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Misty looked up at me.

"I just remembered that…" I spoke in a low whisper, "today, years ago, was the day that my dad…passed away."

"What? What do you mean?" she asked in a shocked tone.

I looked at her in the eyes. "It was a real shock to me as well, when I heard it. My mom told me how he died to save her many years ago, in a sea cruise disaster. She was pregnant with me back then. When I was young, she'd always use to tell me that he was also a trainer on his own adventure in a faraway place, and that he would come back to us someday. It wasn't until two years ago that she told me the truth."

"Ash…" Misty said softly.

"Do you remember two years ago, when I was about to go back to Cerulean with you, a week after the party celebrating my rise to the rank of Pokémon Master?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I remember that, just before we were about to leave, she called you back inside the house for a minute, saying that she had something to say to you. Was that conversation…about your father?"

"Yes," I answered, "What she told me, was one of the key reasons behind my decision to give up my title to live with you. But before I go on, could you do me a small favor?"

"Sure, Ash. What is it?" she said, caressing my cheek.

"Could you…move your leg off my right leg? It's been trapped between you and the chair for a while, and it feels quite numb due to the lack of blood flow," I whimpered.

"Oh…sorry, honey," she said, moving her leg away and giving my right leg some much-needed space for circulation. "Now could you please tell me…what happened with your dad, all those years ago?" she spoke again, her eyes reflecting the moonlight as she looked into mine.

I looked at her and then towards Brock, who was now soundly asleep in comfort on his beach chair. Then again, he'd usually be the first one to fall asleep during our travels together, regardless of whether we were with Misty, May and Max, or Dawn. Turning my attention back to Misty, I decided to tell her the truth about my father, whose face I never had the chance to know.

"Well, alright…" I sighed, "…here goes…"

**(End of Chapter 6)**

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**A/N: **That's Chapter 6 finished, at last... I worked hard on it this week, so I could get it uploaded by this weekend. After my final exam on the 15th of November, I'll start right away on the next chapter. I was originally clueless as to what I could add to the last section of this chapter where they're star-seeing at night, but after happening to watch The Patriot one day, and a particular scene where they make comments regarding the North Star, I thought, 'hey, that's a good idea to put in.' ^^

I was really tempted to make the villain's last name an anagram of Iscariot (the last name of Judas), but decided to go with an Ancient Greek-type of name, as it's more fitting in my opinion in terms of era. I also decided not to give the species-names for Julius' Pokémon, as people back then wouldn't have given a specific name for each species. But Mars is a Dragonite, Jupiter a Salamence, Saturn a Garchomp, Ares a Tyranitar, Terra a Nidoking, and Kradus a Scizor. They definitely didn't have Pokéball technology back then, so I made it that a trainer's Pokémon form bonds with them purely through interaction, spending time together, and earning each other's trust, to make it more realistic.

Please leave your reviews!


	8. Forgotten Memories

**Chapter 7**

**Forgotten Memories**

**(Flashback, 3****rd****-person)**

Exactly twenty-three years ago on this very day, Delia Rose, future mother of Ash Ketchum, was enjoying herself on a peaceful sea-cruise together with her newly-wed husband, Chris Satoshi. Their lively hearts continued to beat as they looked with optimism towards the bright horizon, and the shores of a familiar destination in which they intended to spend the rest of their lives together: Pallet Town. The pair had been through a lot together ever since the fateful day when they met each other at a lake between Pallet Town and Viridian City: over a period of eight years, Chris had become the champion of the regions of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn, a significant feat that few in history had ever achieved. And during every single battle or hardship, his beloved partner and current wife had supported him all the way, allowing him to achieve things he never thought possible.

But their journey had not always been one filled with joy: their former traveling companion, Giovanni, upon discovering his true heritage as the heir of Team Rocket, had abandoned them to take up the position of leader after the sudden disappearance of his mother, Madame Boss – an event which's circumstances none truly know, save for Giovanni himself. The once-loyal and caring friend they knew had been replaced by a tyrannical monster, whose sole intentions were bent upon acquiring the world's most powerful Pokémon for himself, and above all, tearing Chris and Delia apart, and taking Delia as his own partner: plans, which ultimately failed in the end. As a result, after being reunited with each other once again, the two lovers married in a secret ceremony in a local chapel at Oldale Town, so as to avoid unwanted attention from Team Rocket.

Both the water and the wind were calm, as the motor boat bounded at a leisurely pace towards the direction of the shoreline, which was now just two miles away. Smiling, Chris retreated from the bow of the boat to check on his wife, who was resting peacefully on a seat in the cabin stroking the top of her abdomen, which contained their future child. Delia was now three months pregnant, and looking forward to returning to Pallet Town to tell her sister, Mia, of the wonderful news at Pallet House, their residence and restaurant business inherited from their mother.

"How are you doing, honey?" Chris asked, crouching down to look at Delia's baby bump.

"Just fine, darling," Delia responded, "It's really peaceful out here on the ocean, isn't it?"

"It sure is," Chris smiled, leaning forward and planting a kiss on her lips, "Although personally, I prefer to be on land."

"Oh, don't be like that, Chris!" Delia grinned, "You wouldn't want our child to grow up to get seasick the moment he heads out to sea with his Pokémon, do you?"

"Hmm…point taken. I guess I'll have to get better-suited to the open sea from now on."

Delia's mind then wandered off, to numerous thoughts. The life she knew prior to meeting Chris, the adventures they shared together, and most of all, the friend they were likely to never see again.

"I miss him, Chris…" she sighed.

"Gio?" Chris asked, sitting beside her and taking her hand with his.

She nodded. "I wish he could still be with us…I wish he never discovered his true heredity as the heir of Team Rocket. He was such a good friend…"

"I know. Me too, Delia. But we can't determine what Gio does and doesn't do. It was his choice and his alone, and he was ultimately responsible for the path he took in life. We can't decide such things for him," Chris said. Delia's head sank into his shoulder, and he stroked her auburn hair to comfort her. Then, getting back up, he headed back towards the door of the cabin to go out and prepare to dock at Pallet Town. "We're almost at Pallet. I'll be on the deck if you need me."

"Okay. Take care, honey. I love you," Delia smiled.

"I love you too, darling," Chris turned and spoke back before leaving. After walking back to the bow of the ship, he leaned forward onto the railing of the boat, exhaling and inhaling deeply to indulge in the fresh air. He then decided to release his Salamence, Dragonite and Alakazam from their Pokéballs, along with his long-time companion and starter Pokémon, Venusaur. Venusaur let out a great yawn and stretched about next to Chris, while Salamence and Dragonite flexed their wings in the sky. Alakazam took the opportunity to relax his mind, sitting down on a nearby bench in a meditative position.

"Saur? Venu-saur?" the Pokémon asked.

"Hm? Oh, sorry about that," Chris chuckled, "Magmortar and Tyranitar can't come out – their weight would carry us underwater! And we don't want that while Delia's pregnant, do we?"

"Saur~" Venusaur smiled in acknowledgment.

"Ok, then. Enjoy the fresh air, buddy – we're gonna be landing in about a quarter of an hour or so, depending on the current," Chris said, patting Venusaur on the side of his head before heading up the stairs and towards the controls.

"Alakazam…" the psychic Pokémon's eyes suddenly jolted, as if he'd detected a severe, imminent threat. He scrambled towards Chris in a frantic manner, as if their lives depended on it.

"What is it, Al?" Chris spoke with a tone of concern. Immediately, Alakazam's eyes glowed a fiery blue as he relayed a telepathic message to him.

"_There is danger. I sense something lurking in the depths of the water. We must go to Pallet Town with all haste."_

"Huh? What danger? What are you talking about?"

"_There is __**no **__time. We __**must **__ride with all due speed now, or we may not survive."_

"Alright. Tell Delia and the others to brace themselves," Chris said, before moving his hand towards the throttle.

Alakazam then immediately focused his mind on warning all the others simultaneously; although most Kadabra and Alakazam could, at most, telepathically contact one being at a time, his powers were far beyond the majority of his kind, and among the most powerful of psychic Pokémon.

Without a moment's hesitation, Chris moved his hand and slammed on the throttle, as the motor boat jetted forward. But soon after, the calm, blue water around the boat turned to a murky black, with numerous large and scaly figures surrounding the boat and circling it like a pack of predators. A low, scratching sound could be heard as one of the monsters slid its carapace against the side hull of the boat, before…

*_CRASH*_

The boat flew into the air in spectacular fashion, twisting and spiraling around madly for at least five full revolutions, before to the fortune of all on board, landing back onto the water on the same face as before. The shadowy figures then revealed themselves to be blackened Gyarados, Tentacruel and surprisingly a few Sharpedo, who proceeded to savagely thrust their bodies out of the water and lurched forward, wailing in shrill cries at Chris and his Pokémon. A Hyper Beam attack from a Gyarados was barely deflected in time by Alakazam's psychic powers, before Venusaur promptly dealt with the monster with a massive SolarBeam attack. Salamence and Dragonite began to harass the Gyarados with a series of Flamethrower and Thunderbolt attacks, allowing Venusaur and Alakazam to focus their attacks upon the Tentacruel and Sharpedo which threatened to take the boat down under.

Without a second of waiting, Chris ran down to the cabin of the boat to check on Delia once more. After arriving, he found her whimpering and sobbing on a nearby chair, not knowing what to do and fearing for all of their lives.

"Delia! Are you alright?" he cried, holding the sides of her arms firmly.

"I…I think so, Chris. What on earth is going on?" she cried.

"I don't know, but we're being attacked by some Pokémon which I've never seen before! We've gotta get out of here somehow, before it's too late! Come on!" he panicked, taking her immediately by the hand and heading back out onto the deck. But just as they were about to come by the doorway, a great impact rocked the entire ship, knocking them both onto the ground, and causing Delia to roll her ankle in the process.

"Aaah! My ankle!" she cried, clutching the location of her injury.

"Come on, honey, I'll take you out of here," Chris said, picking her up and scrambling out the door. Delia clutched onto the back of his neck desperately with her right hand, shedding tears of fear as she held her head against his neck, breathing deeply and dripping tears onto his shirt. But as Chris looked madly about to and fro, he saw no hope of escape. The ship was completely surrounded by its assailants, as his Pokémon grew weary by the minute. Dragonite and Salamence were both wounded and exhausted, barely hanging on for hope that they would all pull through and make it out. As the defenders were about to lose all hope for survival, a shining ray of radiant gold approached from the southeast, stunning the black Pokémon and providing a brief respite in the battle.

As it approached, both Chris nor Delia, or any Pokémon present could not identify it due to its sheer light. But on closer inspection, the Pokémon was plumed in feathers of gold, red, green and white. It was one which neither Chris nor Delia had ever seen before in all their years.

"Ho-oh!" it cried, holdings its wings up majestically and unleashing a blinding light which stopped the shadow Pokémon dead in their tracks. Taking the opportunity to allow his beloved wife to escape intact with their unborn child, Chris stumbled towards the great bird Pokémon, speaking hoarsely and desperately.

"_Please…_you have to help us…have to help Delia…she has been with child for the last three months…please take her away from here…please let her live…"

The winged figure looked sympathetically at the two humans who huddled before it, before turning around and offering its back to them. Delia, however, refused to leave her husband, clutching onto him more tightly than before.

"Chris, darling, you can't _mean _it to happen like this! I can't leave you, and I can't even begin to imagine living a life without you! I _love _you!" she sobbed.

"I understand, Delia," Chris spoke through gritted teeth, "But you _have _to leave now! If you don't, you'll most definitely die, and our baby will, as well! I promise I'll come back for you again, I swear. I _swear to you _that I won't die here. We'll be together again. Until then, I need you to raise our child. Will you promise?"

After a few seconds of emotional silence, Delia nodded tearfully. "I…I promise, Chris…"

"Ash…" Chris muttered following a moment of thought.

"What?" Delia asked.

"That child's name," Chris said, looking down at Delia's growing womb, "That's child's name is Ash."

"I…I understand," Delia responded, almost lost for words.

Then, realizing that this would possibly prove to be their final goodbye, Chris and Delia leaned towards each other, embracing one another in a passionate kiss and embrace. Their tears, upon falling, joined together before falling onto the floor of the ship which began to splinter from the violent impact it was experiencing.

"Now go!" Chris cried, picking Delia up and placing her on Ho-oh's back. The winged beast then soared into the air with a powerful thrust of its wings, stunning the numerous Gyarados and Tentacruel which preyed upon the young woman who was now holding onto its body tightly. One of the Gyarados, seeing the opportunity to attack Ho-oh after its blinding light had left the area, prepared to fire a black Hyper Beam at it, before being thwarted and hurled violently against the body of another Gyarados by Alakazam's psychic attack.

"…this is it," Chris sighed, before reaching towards his belt to call out his Tyranitar and Magmortar. The two gargantuan Pokémon let their presence be known to their aggressors with a savage roar, before mercilessly unleashing a Hyper Beam and Fire Blast against them, knocking back two Gyarados several yards away. Chris's Pokémon then renewed their attack, fighting a last, desperate struggle aboard the ship which was now ever so slowly sinking and on the verge of carrying all of its members down into a watery grave.

After a few more seconds of retaliation, the attacks of the shadow Pokémon halted altogether, as a new tremor rocked the boat from beneath the water. And this time, resistance would prove futile.

The water directly beneath the Gyarados, Tentacruel and Sharpedo started to bubble violently, before bursting up from under them, revealing new, and even more powerful Gyarados of a behemoth size, dwarfing the previous Gyarados and making them seem like more like a Rattata against a Gyarados or Steelix. The gigantic Gyarados, clearly frustrated by their underlings' incompetence, let out a savage roar before gripping them with merciless fangs and hurling them away, leaving them to sink down into the ocean floor. Chris, and all of his Pokémon fell silent, as they prepared for what would truly be their end. As their surroundings turned into a blinding white light from the charging of the Gyarados' final Hyper Beam, Chris closed his eyes, shedding a last tear, speaking in a hushed whisper.

Meanwhile, Delia was still coming to grips with the prospect of a life without Chris, the one she had loved ever since they first met, more than eight years ago. The thought of being a single mother seemed unbearable, and was made only worse by the fact that she would be forced to raise her child as a single mother at the age of just over nineteen, once her baby was born. Then, her heart sank as she looked back tearfully in disbelief, after hearing a loud explosion. The ship was now sinking into the bottom of the ocean, with neither Chris or his Pokémon in sight. Delia finally burst into tears, as Ho-oh, looked empathetically at her from the corner of its eye, before swooping down onto the shore of Pallet Town's beach and allowing her to make her way towards the nearest building: Professor Oak's Laboratory. And for a minute, Delia could have sworn she heard her departed husband's soothing words in the wind, as she looked back to see that both the ship and the smoke were now gone.

"_Goodbye, Delia…I'll love you forever…"_

**(End Flashback)**

**

* * *

**

**(Ash's POV)**

As I finished my story, Misty looked visibly stirred and shaken, holding and caressing my hand as if to comfort me. A teardrop fell from my eyelid and rolled down my face, before being wiped away by Misty's gentle hand.

"Honey…are you alright?" she said softly, holding my right cheek.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mist," I replied, "It's just that I never told anyone till now, and it feels a bit sad doing so."

"But what happened afterwards, Ash? If your dad's surname was Satoshi, and your mom's surname was Rose, then how did the two of you come to have the surname you have now?" she asked.

"Hmm…about that," I started again, "My mom told me that after she arrived back in Pallet Town, she was tended to by her sister and Professor Oak. She changed her name, in the hope that it would allow us to live free of Team Rocket's influence, and that they won't be able to find us again."

"I didn't know that your mom had a sister…whatever happened to her?"

I sunk my head, taking comfort by resting it against hers, before telling her what happened in the shortest and simplest way possible. "…car accident…"

Misty's eyes then welled up with tears, before she held my head gently with her hands and laid her cheek against mine. "I never imagined your family had gone through such terrible times…and to think that _I _was the unlucky one…"

"What happened with your parents, Misty?" I asked. "Or…do you wanna leave it until some other time, like you said before? I don't wanna put pressure on you or anything – it's completely up to you."

She gave a small smile, as if to lighten the mood of what was a sullen exchange of memories. "Nah. I'll talk about it now. It's only fair."

"Okay. Go on, then."

"My parents...the two of them met at Cerulean Cape," Mist replied, before breaking a small grin, "It's kind of funny, actually…they actually met, got engaged, and then finally got married there – it's one of the main reasons behind my dreams of meeting my one true love there, one day."

"Too bad you fished him out of a lake, one day," I chuckled, "How strong were you anyway, to pull out a guy your size out of the water?"

"Stronger than _you_ back then, obviously, honey," she smiled, pulling my cheek softly. "But anyway, back to my parents…their names were Jason Waterflower and Belle Anderson. Dad was a member of an elite branch of police agents in the Kanto region, while my mom was the leader of the Cerulean Gym, passed down to her by our grandparents. By chance, they met in Cerulean Cape while dad was on a long-term service leave. After that day, my dad decided to transfer over to a branch in Cerulean. After a few years, they finally got married, and mom soon gave birth to Daisy, Violet, Lily, and finally, me. Dad was usually out until late at night with his work, because it was so important to him. He wasn't one of those workaholics who hardly came home, though – he loved us all dearly, but his job as a secret agent was a really demanding one. And when he _was _home, we would cherish every minute of it – especially me, because I was the one who was most dependent on our parents out of the four of us sisters."

Misty then stopped to give herself a brief pause, before continuing on.

"And one day when I was around five, barely an hour after getting home from work, he suddenly said that he had to go back, but he wouldn't say why. An hour after that, we had a visitor at our door: it was an Officer Jenny, but she held her hat glumly with both her hands, looking at us with sullen eyes as she spoke. The moment she said the words, 'I have terrible news', mom practically broke down in tears on the floor, and just wouldn't stop crying. The Officer Jenny knelt down and hugged her to comfort her, but nothing would simply do. So she came over to me and my sisters, handing Daisy a letter she held in her hand, before kneeling down and speaking to me. I can still remember exactly what she said…she said, 'your dad won't be coming back'. Although I was just five years old, I was smart enough to know exactly what she was going on about, and I started to cry as well. Our grandparents then came out of their bedroom, and upon seeing Jenny, they too started crying, realizing that dad was not returning. After Jenny left, we all read the letter she gave us. It said that dad died during a mission in which the secret agents had discovered a location in which Giovanni happened to be hiding at, and then tried to capture him by storming the hideout. After breaking through and finally coming across Giovanni, dad was killed by a bullet fired by a Rocket Grunt who was hiding in the shadows, out of sight in his black uniform. Dad was the first one to run into the room, and a couple of other agents followed behind him. But they were only able to see what happened to him from behind the glass door, as it was too late. The funeral and all was very difficult to bear, but…the worst was yet to come…"

As she finished speaking, I became afraid to ask more, but something within me made me do what I wished I had not.

"…what came next, Mist?" I asked against my own will.

"They…attacked the gym, the night after the funeral was held. Team Rocket secret agents stormed the gym. I still remember everything…it all happened so fast…my mom and I were up the instant we heard a loud banging on the door. Daisy, Violet and Lily then came running to our room, panicking. My mom then rushed downstairs with all of us, and got us to hide in the underground basement. We then realized that our grandparents were still in their room, so mom hugged us all tightly before rushing back up. Right then, we all knew that she would not be coming back. Shortly afterwards, we heard loud yells of anger and the cries of mom and our grandparents from upstairs. We could hear them being dragged down the stairs and thrown directly on top of the floor which we were huddling under. Although we couldn't see anything that was going on, we could hear that mom was struggling against many Rocket grunts and agents. Then, everything went silent after a long, silver blade pierced through the floor, stopping only mere inches away from my face. But the crimson liquid which dripped from it and onto my cheeks only confirmed that my darkest nightmare had come true: we were now completely alone. After mom and our grandparents' funeral, Daisy, Violet and Lily all got part-time jobs in order to make ends meet and pay bills. I remember I used to cry myself to sleep every night, and my nightmares of both my parents' and grandparents' death would continue for a year. Life was all so excruciatingly difficult until…I met _you_."

I was now lost for words. I could do nothing but hold Misty in a warm embrace, as she started to cry again.

"Come on, Mist. We should stop talking about these things now. Let's go to bed," I said, fondling her hair and looking into her deep cerulean eyes.

"Okay, Ash. That sounds like a good idea," she replied, getting off of me and walking towards the fence of the veranda as I walked over to Brock to wake him.

"Hey Brock, we're going to bed now. You coming?" I said softly, shaking him gently from his sleep.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah…I'll be right in, in a sec," he answered, stretching his arms and yawning as Croagunk did the same.

"The full moon…the ocean…so beautiful…" Misty whispered.

"You okay, Mist?" I asked, walking over to her slowly. She turned slightly and gave a weak smile, which scared me a little due to the lack of energy she seemed to have.

"I'm fine, Ash…I'll be with you…right…now…" she said, walking over to me very slowly. But then, she suddenly collapsed, her hands dropping in front of her and onto the floor as she fell.

"Mist! Misty!" I yelled, running towards her and taking her in my arms. "What's going on?"

Misty suddenly seemed to be very short of breath, as her head lay unconscious on my knee. "Brock, get the phone, quick! We gotta call a hospital!"

As Brock rushed into the house to get the cordless phone, I shook Misty again and again, performing CPR as best as I could. Then, to my relief, she opened her eyes again weakly, looking at me with a frail stare.

"Ash…I…feel so weak…" she sighed.

"Just stay with me, Mist. It's gonna be all right," I tried to reassure her, as Brock came running with the phone, with the Seafoam Islands Emergency Services on the line.

* * *

**(Hours later)**

Brock and I sat on a bench outside the emergency room, fretting and shaking nervously as we awaited any news of Misty's condition. The clock in the corridor ticked incessantly, making me all the more stressed. I recalled the last time I was waiting outside in the ward hallways of a hospital – it was right after my battle with Lance, when Pikachu was gravely injured against his Dragonite, but managed to pull through by the next day. But the fact that it was Misty – the love of my life since my childhood – who was in the emergency room made me all the more saddened and tormented.

"Don't fret too much, Ash! I'm sure she'll turn out just fine!" Brock tried to calm me, but to no avail. I didn't speak. I didn't move. I didn't do as much as move a muscle, until I finally heard the doors swing open and a doctor walk out of the emergency room.

Immediately, I rushed over to him, grabbing him by his arms and wailing for sheer life. "_IS she alright, doctor? What happened? Is she going to be fine?"_

The doctor, initially shocked and stunned by my actions, soon found the composure to reply. "Relax, Mr. Ketchum. Your wife is in good condition. We're conducting standard health checks on her right now, as we speak. She'll be fine."

I let out a sigh of relief, before releasing my grip on him. "…thank you, doctor…"

"_But_," he started again, causing fear to grip my heart the moment he spoke the word, before he continued. "I must say…congratulations!"

"Huh?" I said, my eyes widening and my pupils dilating from the shock. "I don't understand..."

"...she is pregnant."

* * *

**(3****rd****-person POV)**

**(Julius' Chambers)**

A tattered, bloodied man was brought to his knees by Julius' servants before their master, who looked with gleeful eyes at the pile of rags which lay in front of him. The man's hair was scrawled and messy, his skin punctured and cut in various places all over his body, and his very being looked as if it were about to collapse with sheer fatigue and exhaustion. But yet, there remained a light in his eyes that could not be conquered by any darkness or corrupt power, as he looked at his captor and oppressor with a strength which remained ever since the day of his capture.

"You look tired, my friend. _Exhausted_. Surely, you must be sick of all this…_torture_…_the pain_…how long has it been? Twenty years? More than that, I'll wager. Everything can be ended, if you would only say one, simple line…will you yield and swear to serve me?" Julius said.

The man gave no answer, instead spitting on the ground in front of him. Sighing, Julius unleashed another surge of dark energy from his fingertips, causing an implosion within the man's body, and another rush of blood to exit his body through the cuts on his chest and arms.

"_I will…__**never**__…serve…you…_" he coughed in defiance.

"See here," Julius spoke again, holding out a crystal sphere from under his cloak. Within it was a vision of Ash, who currently had an expression of shock on his face, a short while after being told of Misty's pregnancy. "Here is the Chosen One. Do you see and recognize him?" The man still gave no reply, so Julius telepathically forced his head to perform two nods, causing the man grievous pain in the process. "Yes, you see, indeed…you must _also _be aware that he, and he only, holds the key to your salvation. But then again, it is inevitable that he will soon fail, for his powers of Aura are no match when pitted against the power of my master. Despite his status as Arceus' 'Chosen One' of prophecy, even _he _will never be able to find you, let alone save you. You will _never _see the light of day again…_or _the ones you love…you must realize this by now, don't you? The world as you know it shall be undone, and replaced by a new era of darkness that my master will soon unleash upon it. And then, all that 'hope' you have been falsely blabbering on about for these last few years will be utterly made bare against the blackening sun, revealing it to be nothing more than a faded dream. _That_, my friend…will be your destiny and end."

The man then raised his head to face Julius with a new-found confidence and faith. His eyes were filled with not fear, but courage and belief, as he spoke bravely to the one who held the power over both his life and death.

"I don't 'think' he will find me someday…I _know _he will…and when that day comes, you, and all the evil and suffering that you and your master have wrought upon the world will be undone. This, I know to be certain."

"Amusing…" Julius scoffed, crossing his arms, "And what makes you so _certain _of that?"

"Because…he is my son…"

**(End of chapter 7)**

* * *

**A/N: **That's Chapter 7 done. I've basically written it all in one day, after spending a week not being able to touch it due to various reasons. Chapter 8 will most likely be up by next week. I've decided to pack in all of the sections which were originally gonna be kept separately as chapters 7-9, but decided to put them all into this one chapter, as they would've been too short individually.

I ended up adding quite a lot of detail about Chris, Delia and Giovanni's relationship, so hopefully that won't cause a great deal of spoilers for my eventual story based on those three. But I also think that in a way, it makes it more interesting, because it allows me to concentrate more on adding numerous twists to the plotline of that story, and on character development.

I'll probably be able to upload one, maybe two chapters per week if I put my back into it from now on. But since I've got to basically attend rehearsals for this final Speech Night music concert held on November 29, on every weekday leading up to that event, and I also got a PS3 with FIFA and Call of Duty: Black Ops the other day, chances are that I'll be able to upload just one chapter per week for now.

Again please leave your reviews! :)


	9. A Mother's Joy

**Chapter 8**

**A Mother's Joy  
**

**(Seafoam Islands, Ash's POV)**

Street light after street light passed overhead as Brock drove the car back to our home by the beach-side, after all of Misty's checkups were completed. I sat on the left side of the back seat taking care of Misty who was still asleep, her head lying gently on my leg as her lower body occupied the center and right seats. The rest of the night was peaceful with no incident, while Brock drove as smoothly as possible, so as to prevent Misty from suffering from any sudden knocks or movement.

"Pikachupi…" Pikachu spoke softly, looking at me with concerned eyes.

"She's perfectly fine now, buddy, don't you worry," I said, scratching him on the top of the head with a finger. "The doctor just says she needs some rest, and that she needs to take things easy from now on."

"Pi," he nodded his head to signify that he understood.

"Well, we're here," Brock announced, applying the brakes gently and turning off the headlights and ignition. "Let's get her out, Ash."

"Right," I nodded, opening the left door and bring Misty out carefully, taking her up in my arms. I entered the house as Brock unlocked and opened the door for me, and then proceeded to the bedroom, where I placed her gently on the mattress of the bed.

Upon feeling the soft surface of the bed, Misty's eyes slowly opened as she spoke. "Ash…what happened?"

"You fainted, Misty. But everything's alright now. We took you to the hospital where they carried out a lot of medical checks, and found out that you were-" I stopped, too embarrassed to continue.

"What? What's wrong with me?" she sat up, placing her hands on my shoulders with a pang of fear.

"Erm, nothing's _'wrong'_, Mist…it's just that erm…I…we…err…" I murmured, scratching the back of my head and looking down at her abdomen, not knowing what to say.

"Ash…am I…_am I_?" she flustered, slightly pulling me towards her.

"Umm…yeah, you are," I confirmed.

Just then, the light in Misty's eyes started flickering and shaking, before her shocked expression turned into one of pure joy.

"Ash! I love you!" she cried, jumping towards me and pinning me down on the bed. My head was just about the only part of my body that I could move, as I tilted it forward to look at her.

"My _God_, Misty! Settle down! The baby might be miscarried or something!" I wailed.

"Oh don't be silly, Ash…you obviously don't know a thing about female physiology when it comes to pregnancy. Oh, you don't know how long I've waited for this day!" she giggled.

"…female _what_?" I asked.

"Never mind, honey," she grinned as she drew forward for a deep kiss.

"Mmpff!" I cried in a muffled voice, feeling a sharp pain in the back of my head as she caused me to hit my head against the foot-board.

"Oh, shit! I'm so sorry, baby, are you ok?" Misty panicked, pulling me away from the hard wood and leaning back until we finally came upon the soft mattress again.

"_That…hurt_…" I groaned. But then again, I reminded myself that there were even worse possible pains in the world, especially from a certain mallet that my wife kept handy in a place which God knows where. And not even a searing Flamethrower attack from Charizard, or even a flat-out belly-flop from Snorlax could possibly compare.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go off to bed now, so call me if you need anyth-" Brock said coming into the room, but stopped in shock as he looked at Misty who was leaning over me like some kind of predator. "O…kay…I'm just gonna um…leave the two of you alone I guess," he said, giving us a weird look. "…goodnight?"

After Brock closed the door as left, I turned my head to Misty again. "That was…fairly weird…I thought you were supposed to be more of a _tomboy_, not some kind of animal, Mist. Hehehe- Mff!" I chuckled, before waving my arms frantically in the air as my voice was muffled savagely by Misty who shoved her pillow into my mouth.

"_You _got me pregnant in the _first place, Mr. Pokémon Master_! Don't blame me for being happy like any other expectant mother would!" she berated.

"Pikikikiki…" Pikachu sniggered cheekily, before dashing to the side and on top of the bed as I shot a half-glare, half-tired-look at him. Marill then simply came up to Misty and gave her a hug with its little paws, before going over to lie down next to Pikachu.

"Go to sleep, you cheeky fella," I chuckled.

"Goodnight, you two," Misty smiled.

"Goodnight, beautiful," I whispered, kissing Misty on the forehead and lips.

"…you're _so _silly, Ash," she giggled.

"Hey, you can't blame me for the fact that you _are _beautiful, Mist, can you?" I joked as we snuggled together.

"I love you Ash," Misty exhaled softly, kissing me again.

"I love you too, Mist. Let's get some shut-eye now."

* * *

**(In the morning)**

"Good morning, guys, and- , oh, for the love of _God_, put something on! Both of you!" Brock said as he entered the door, shielding his eyes with his hands in disgust after seeing the two of us awake dazedly, still half-naked.

"Sorry, Brock."

"Sorry," we both said, yawning and pulling the quilt upwards.

"Anyway," Brock said, still disturbed. "Breakfast is ready, so…I'll see you guys at the kitchen." And with that, he left our bedroom with the same look on his face he had last night.

"Well, I guess we better get moving, Mist," I yawned again.

"I always wondered how Brock gets up so early," Misty said, blinking tiredly.

"He has a lot of siblings, so it's only understandable, I guess. Now come on – you too, Pikachu and Marill. The two of you are sitting on my feet, y'know," I said, wriggling about to get my legs free.

"Pika."

"Marr," they replied, hopping off the side of the bed and going off by themselves to the kitchen.

As soon as we entered the kitchen, we were greeted by the sound of the ringing of the Video Phone. I rolled my eyes, my stomach growling furiously with impatience.

"…what now? I'm hungry!" I exhaled forcefully.

"Let me see here…" Misty said, walking over to the monitor to check the caller ID. "Hey Ash, it's your mom!" she called out to me.

"Huh? Mom?" my eyes flashed as I bounded over to the phone. "Pick it up, Mist!"

"Hello? Delia?" Misty answered the phone, as the picture came up with mom's face. "Hi, there!"

"Misty, dear, how are you? Are the two of you all settled in? How is Brock?" mom smiled.

"We're all good here, Delia. All the moving has been done, and Brock is, well…having a good time as well, I guess!" Misty grinned.

"If by 'having a good time', you mean seeing the two of you – mppff!" Brock groaned, before I covered his mouth suddenly.

"So…how are things in Pallet Town, mom?" I asked.

"Oh, things are just fine, honey! Mimey's great company, as always, and all of your Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab are doing great!" she said.

"Oh, I should tell you this, Delia – I have some great news for you!" Misty smiled.

"What is it, dear?"

"Mist, no-!" I choked softly, hoping that Mom wouldn't hear me, but it was too late.

"I'm pregnant!" Misty beamed. Mom's expression then suddenly distorted into one of true shock, before turning back into a smile, this time warmer than before.

"Ohh, that's so wonderful to hear, Misty! I'm finally going to get to see some grandchildren! This is such wonderful news!" she cried with enthusiasm, a small teardrop falling from the side of her eye.

…_Oh, crap…_

"I promise that I'll bring him or her over soon after I give birth in about eight months' time. Until then, take good care of yourself, Delia!" Misty smiled, waving her hand slightly.

"I'll see you too, dear! We'll talk soon again sometime! Bye now! And Ash?" Mom asked.

"What is it, Mom?" I peeped over Misty's shoulder.

"Make sure to change your underwear and shower everyday, sweetie!" she grinned. _Trust _mom to say something like that at the end of every conversation…

"Mo~~m!" I groaned, slapping my forehead. "I'm not traveling anymore! I'm living in a house! Of _course _I'm doing all that!"

"Oh, my mistake, honey! Well, have a great day, all of you!" Mom smiled, waving back at us.

"Bye!" we all said.

After the monitor went dark, I immediately walked over to the breakfast table, where Brock prepared a nice meal consisting of eggs, bacon, rice, chicken soup (of course, with all carrots removed for a certain red-headed chicken) and a cup of coffee for all of us. Also on the table was a bottle of ketchup, which Pikachu immediately sprang up to and started suckling away on, as soon as he saw it. Surprisingly, Marill had a bottle of mild and sweet mustard in hand, enjoying its contents just as much as Pikachu delighted in his ketchup.

"Weird…since when did Marill like _mustard_, Mist?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I…erm…aah…I have no clue, actually…weird," Misty stammered.

Then, looking out the windows, we could all see a lot of people with their kids out on the beach, as it was Saturday.

"Wow, there's a lot of people out on the beach today! And it's just morning! How early did they get there?" I said, chewing on a rasher of bacon and a spoonful of rice.

"Ash, do you even know what time it is?" Misty sighed.

"8am?" I hazarded a guess.

"Actually, it's 10:45, Ash," Brock stated.

"Wow! It's really 10:45 already?" I said, bewildered.

"I _tried _to wake him up at around nine, Brock…but he just kept on snoozing away, and soon enough, I fell back asleep, seeing as I wouldn't have ever wriggled out of bed with his ridiculously heavy leg lying on top of mine," Misty sighed, twirling her spoon around her chicken soup bowl. "Honey, if our baby inherits your sleeping trait, I dunno _what _I'm gonna do around the house, with not one, but _two _serial-sleepers around."

"Well, I guess you should just learn to get used to it, honey," I smiled, before feeling a kick from Misty on my foot. "Hey! That was uncalled for!"

"You earned it," Misty mumbled before chewing on a piece of chicken.

"But by the way, Mist…do you have _any idea _what you've done by telling mom about you being pregnant?" I asked.

"Huh? What do you mean, Ash?" she asked, her eyes widened by surprise.

"You serious? You _really_ don't have a clue as to what's gonna happen tomorrow? This is _Mom _we're talking about! Have a guess, Mist."

"Sorry, Ash, but I really have no idea what you're on about," she replied, eyes wandering about.

I sighed heavily. "Now _you're _the dense one." And soon enough, Misty poked my nose softly in frustration.

"We should probably start looking around for cribs and stuff for the baby, though," she said after a while.

"Aww," I groaned, "Can't we do it another time? I mean, like, sometime after Brock's gone back Pewter? I'm sure he doesn't wanna spend hours looking for baby furniture with us."

"Actually, I'm perfectly fine with it! After all, you might need an extra pair of hands with moving the furniture," Brock insisted with a smile.

"Perfect! We'll all go out right after breakfast, so get ready!" Misty said, joining her hands together.

_Oh, brother…how I hate going shopping now…_

Hours later, we returned from our shopping, completely exhausted…well, except for Misty, who still had an active, delighted look on her face. But then again, she wasn't the one who was moving the heavy crib – it was me and Brock, who were sweating and shaking as we carefully moved the fragile furniture to where the baby's room would be. And finally, after placing it down in its intended spot, we both let out a huge sigh of relief, before heading to the kitchen to grab a cold drink. Misty followed after us with Pikachu and Marill, and opened the fridge to see what we could make for lunch, as Brock and I each drank a cold glass of lemonade. I still hadn't developed any great taste for beer, or any other kind of alcohol.

"Let's see…we can either make some tuna sandwiches, cook some noodles, or…" she said looking into the fridge, before being interrupted by the sound of the Video Phone's speaker.

"You have…one new message. You now have a total of…158 new messages, and… 265 missed calls," its mechanical voice stated.

_Oh, dear…_

I rubbed my forehead. "This was what I was tryna tell you about, Mist," I sighed. Right now, I didn't even think that we'd be able to eat. Things were only made worse in my mind as I imagined the mailman coming over tomorrow morning with literally a travel-bag sized amount of letters, handing it over to me and saying, 'Here, Mr. Ketchum. They're all yours'.

"Well, why don't the two of you get started on reading them? I'll get some cold noodles ready while you're at it," Misty said, grabbing a packet of soba noodles out of the fridge. Both Brock and I were completely unafraid of Misty's cooking now, compared to back in the day when her cooking tasted like some kind of hell-spawn. She had improved dramatically over the years we had been apart, to the point where I couldn't choose between her and Mom's cooking, and even sometimes that of Brock.

"Okay then," I said, walking to the monitor with Brock. Looking at the list of messages we received, most of the names were the same from the people who sent us congratulatory letters after our wedding: Misty's sisters, Tracey, the Maples, Dawn, Bianca and Lorenzo, the Orange Islands Gym Leaders…even a few from Gary, Paul and Anabel from the Battle Frontier, who I haven't heard from for years. But just as I was about to click on one of them to view its contents, the screen suddenly came up with an incoming call, giving me an unpleasant fright.

"Oh my God!" I cried, before sighing. "…I wish this thing could be a little more…quieter…"

"Who's calling Ash?" Brock asked, peering over my shoulder.

"Let's see here…" I said, clicking for the caller ID. "Hey, it's Sabrina!"

"Sab…sa-sa-sasasasa-Sabrina?" Brock stammered. "Well, what are you waiting for? Accept it, Ash!" he cried out somewhat desperately. Smirking, I clicked on the 'accept' button on the monitor, prompting Sabrina's picture to show up.

"Hi guys, it's me, Sabrina!" she smiled, waving her hand delicately towards us. Her hairstyle had noticeably changed, from her usual straight style to a wavy, elegant perm.

"Haunter, Haunt!" Haunter smiled mischievously at us, before giving Sabrina a wide lick across the face before shimmering away.

"Gaah! Haunter, I really wish you'd stop doing that! Especially when I've got my makeup on!" Sabrina complained, pulling out a silver handkerchief out of her pocket and cleaning her face.

"Oh, Sabrina! Hi!" Misty rejoiced, quickly turning on the gas to boil the water before joining me and Brock at the monitor. "How's everything?"

"Hi, Misty! Long time no see! I haven't seen you in person since your wedding! Well, things have been going pretty fine for me lately, I guess. But I'm sort of bored over here. I mean, I've had quite a number of challengers, but, umm…let's just say that Alakazam didn't need to try that hard, and he tried to finish every match quickly so he can go play with Haunter. I swear, Haunter is quite a bad influence on him…" Sabrina sighed.

"Hehehe, that's good to hear that the two of them get along so well!" Misty chuckled, holding her hand over her mouth. "But why are you dressed up and have makeup on and everything? I thought you don't take any challenges on weekends! Are you going out soon?"

"Umm…no…" Sabrina said in a low voice, a cherry-red blush developing in her cheeks as she looked down and sideways while cracking a small smile.

"Party at your place?"

"No…"

"Meeting anyone?"

"No!" Sabrina insisted before giving Brock a loving glance, causing him to become all flustered.

"…was it for Brock? Come on – you can be honest with me, Sabs. Tell me," Misty grinned cheekily.

"I…erm…hehehe…" Sabrina chuckled, twirling around several strands of hair from her fringe as she looked down in embarrassment. "I _guess_…you could say that…"

Looking over my shoulder and up at Brock, I saw nothing but smiles and more smiles as he looked on at the monitor, speechless.

"So anyway…how have you been, Brock? Good?" Sabrina beamed towards Brock.

"I've been…aah…good! _Very good, _in fact! My younger brother Forrest can take care of all my siblings while I'm gone now, so I don't think there would be any problems back home! …I think…I hope," Brock smiled, before looking up to the ceiling in uncertainty. "Anyway, how about you?"

"Well, to be honest, a lot of the male trainers who come over here seeking the Marshbadge have been…slightly annoying…you see, right after a match finishes, and in some cases, even before it begins, they actually ask me out for a date, dinner, or some other thing. While I was…you know how I was before you three showed up for the first time, I hardly even got _any _challenges from trainers because they were all afraid of me. After you brought me back, I've had a _few _trainers occasionally who said that I was beautiful, that I was so amazing, et cetera. And it was alright and I sort of appreciated it, because I only saw their type about just twice a month. But now, it's quite a different story, with at least _three _per week. Hell, one guy even went as far as to kneel down and propose to me then and there after our match! It's driving me nuts!" Sabrina wailed, holding her cheeks with her hands and shaking her head to and fro.

"Oh…I see, then…" Brock said, a tone of disappointment in his voice.

"Oh, don't worry at all, Brock! You'll always be my number one!" Sabrina chimed happily, making Brock smile again in relief. "I reject them every time, although I admit I hate to see their sad faces. I learnt it from none other than _you_, Misty!" she winked.

I smiled, remembering just how long I was away for during my travels and hardly ever finding the time to contact Misty. I couldn't begin to imagine just how many trainers asked her out or to become their girlfriend, considering how beautiful she was. And _how_ I was eternally grateful that Misty was loyal with her love for me, for all those years…

"That's so good of you, Sabrina!" Misty smiled. "But then again, you've learnt from no-one but the best when it comes to staying loyal to your partner, didn't you?"

"I sure have, Misty. I sure have," Sabrina replied. "Oh! I called up to ask you this, but almost forgot to! How is the pregnancy going, Misty?"

"It's going just perfect Sabrina! I'm due in approximately eight months, but we haven't found out the gender of the baby yet," Misty explained.

"…wanna find out right now? After all, I'm psychic!" Sabrina winked again.

"…I thought psychics could only read minds?" I mumbled, scratching my head.

"We can do that, and _much more_, Ash," Sabrina smirked, moving her index finger from side to side like a metronome. "So, do you wanna find out?"

I looked at Misty, shrugging to signify that it was completely up to her.

"No thanks, Sabs. It's alright. We'll just find out when I actually give birth," Misty smiled.

"Okay, that's fine! So…anything else going on?"

"Well, I was wondering, Sabs, but…" Misty pondered, before looking up at Sabrina optimistically. "How would you like to be my baby's godmother?"

"Huh? Me? A godmoth-? *cough cough*" Sabrina choked, making all of us laugh, before replying with a strange and rather uncomfortable look on her face. "Well…I don't see anything wrong with it!"

"Really? Cos' you look like you just swallowed a Swinub after inhaling spores from a Vileplume!" I laughed.

"Oh, no no no no no! I'm perfectly fine with it! I like it! It's just that…it was a shock at first, y'know?" Sabrina said, fanning her face with her hand. "But who'll be the god_father_, then?"

"Why…Brock here, of course!" Misty laughed, patting Brock on the arm. Both Brock and Sabrina exchanged awkward glances and grins, embarrassed by Misty's statement.

"Misty…we're not married, y'know!" Sabrina said, her face totally red as she held her hand over her mouth and nose.

"Yeah…" Brock stated, "…at least not yet!"

Sabrina's face was now redder than the top half of a Voltorb, as she looked at us again. "I…err…have to go now! But I'll see you all soon! Oh, and Brock?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm taking a week's break from the gym sometime next month. I'll be sure to come over to stay with you, if that's alright."

"R-really? That's great! I've hardly had any time to spend with you! I'll be looking forward to it!" Brock exclaimed, his eyes wilder than every single encounter he had ever had with a Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny, combined.

"Alright then, see ya later, Sabs! Take good care of Brock while you're over there – he'll need it!" Misty giggled as she waved, moving her hand over to the End Call button.

"Bye, Sabrina!" I waved.

"Bye, Ash! Bye, Brock! I love you!" Sabrina waved at me and blew Brock a kiss.

"B…ba…ba…bye, Sabrina!" Brock sniffed, on the verge of shedding tears of joy, before the monitor switched back to the Messages screen.

"Well, read on, you two. I'm going back to making lunch," Misty said, returning to check on the boiling water and noodles.

"Okay, Mist. Oh, and I almost forgot – your sisters sent a message as well!" I told her.

"Okay, Ash. I'll check it once lunch is ready!" she called back.

"This is gonna be one _looong_ day, Brocko," I exhaled deeply, clicking on the message from Professor Oak, which was first in the list, to start an excruciatingly long series of reading and answering emails.

"It sure is, Ash," Brock agreed, "It suuure is…"

**(End of Chapter 8)**

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry if this chapter seems a bit short – Chapters 8 and 9 are mainly designed to be transition chapters, so they aren't that long. Chapter 10 may be a bit lengthier.

I was thinking of starting off Chapter 9 as a flash-forward eight months later, when Ash and Misty's child is born. I don't really wanna dwell on stuff that might happen in between then, because I'm not interesting in writing about those kind of things. TheFifthCharmedOne pulled it off quite well in the first part of her trilogy, 'In My Heart', but I'm not really into writing about stuff that happen in between. You should go find and read it, though – the chapters are only about 2000 words long each, but the plot is very good that it keeps you interested.

My school's end-of-year Speech Night Concert ends on November 29, so after that, I'll be writing a lot more, and making updates much more often…unless of course, I'm distracted by PS3, FIFA and Call of Duty: Black Ops, which may be a likely outcome… -_- . I'm also thinking about composing some music as well. ^_^

Please leave your reviews!


	10. A Joyride of Sorrow

**Chapter 9**

**A Joyride of Sorrow**

**(Eight months later)**

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum, you have a beautiful, healthy, baby boy!" the nurse returned to Misty's hospital room with our baby in her arms after washing him up, his loud cries filling the room. Misty had a fatigued smile on her face as she held out her hands towards the nurse. Receiving the baby in my arms, I cradled him briefly and kissed him on the forehead before handing him delicately to Misty, who shed tears of joy upon embracing our baby for the first time.

Taking out the handkerchief she gave me when we were just children, I leaned forward and wiped away the fresh sweat drops which were forming on her forehead. She had gone into labor for many hours beforehand, before finally giving birth to our first child at 11:05am, on the 17th of April. "I'm proud of you, Mist," I smiled, kneeling by her side.

"Ash…thank you…for always being there for me these last few months…" she panted softly, still tired from her ordeal.

"Ssh, ssh…try to get some rest now, Mist. You've been through a lot," I said, kissing her cheek and holding my face next to hers, stroking her cheek softly.

"Ash, the baby…" she replied, "What will we name him?"

I pondered awhile in thought, before coming to a suitable choice. "How about…Ethan?"

"Ethan…it's a good name, honey," Misty smiled, patting Ethan on the back to sooth him. The once-loud and crying baby was now completely calmed by the sight of her angelic face, his wails replaced by a pleasant smile as he laid his soft hands on her face, before being turned around. "Ethan, say hello to daddy."

The sight of Ethan's beaming face as he reached his arms out to me brought pure joy to my heart. If there were three events in my past which I could genuinely consider to be the happiest memories in my life, it was these three: the present, the day of me and Misty's wedding, and that fateful day when the two of us met each other…albeit the memory of a painful slap across my face and Misty's scolding and temper soured that happy memory, to the smallest degree.

"Aaaauwaaa," Ethan laughed as I took him up in my arms. He immediately started pulling at my cheek, taking a strange kind of childish pleasure at it. Then, when Pikachu popped up on my shoulder to see Ethan, Ethan looked up and sighted Pikachu's tail, watching attentively as it wagged about.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu whined at me, after he could feel Ethan playing with his tail and occasionally putting it in his mouth. It was sure a good thing that Pikachu learnt over the years to control his electrical currents in such nervous moments, in order to prevent any shock damage to others.

"Come on, Ethan, don't suck on Pikachu's tail! It can be dangerous!" I said, taking Pikachu's tail out of his mouth. "Hey, I know!"

Looking down at my Pokébelt, I picked out Bulbasaur's Pokéball and released him on the floor.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" he cried happily upon release.

"Hey, buddy, could I ask you a favor?" I asked, crouching down to his level.

"Bulba?"

"This is Ethan. Misty's just given birth to him a few minutes ago…could you keep him occupied while I go and sign some papers at the counter?"

"Bul…"he pondered. To him, Ethan looked more like a miniature version of Heracross than a baby, as Ethan looked and reached out with great interest towards the top of his bulb. "Saur…" he sighed, agreeing to my request and reaching out with his twin vines and began to lift Ethan up and down gently with them, entertaining the newborn.

"Thanks, bud," I smiled, before going back to the main counter. After signing Ethan's birth certificate, I took it over to Misty by the bed, upon which she filled out her own details.

"There," she said, putting down the pen onto the clipboard which the birth certificate was attached to. "Do you mind if I…sleep for awhile, Ash? I'm still rather tired."

"Go ahead, Mist. You've been through a lot, and you deserve some rest," I said, kissing her on the lips and hand, which I held with both of mine. "I'll be here when you wake up, and then we can go home."

After Misty fell asleep, I looked down at Bulbasaur, who had a dejected and bored look on his face as he continued to play with Ethan, who was now poking at his bulb. Pikachu stood by, laughing softly at his friend's misfortune.

"Bulba, Bulbasaur. Bul, Bul, Bulbasaur." ("This sort of actually makes me _miss_ that sap-sucking beetle, a bit.")

I smiled at them before leaving the room, to give Mom and Brock a call. Walking down the hallway, I took out my PokéGear and called home, waiting awhile before the dial tone was replaced by Mom's voice.

"Hi, honey, how are you? Is Misty well?" her cheerful voice responded.

"Hi, mom! Wonderful news – Misty's just given birth!" I smiled.

"Really? That's fantastic to hear, honey!" she squealed, "What did you name the baby? Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy. We named him Ethan. He's playing with Bulbasaur and Pikachu, and Misty's sleeping at the moment."

"That's good that she's getting some rest, honey. From my own experience, I'm sure she needs it, after all she's been through."

"Alright. Well, I guess we'll give you a call once we're back home from the hospital. We'll probably drop by at Pallet Town in about a week to visit. Until then, take care, mom!" I said.

"OK! Take care of yourselves, dears!" she replied, as the line cut off. I promptly called Brock's number and waited for him to pick up at the other end. And to my surprise, it wasn't _he _who picked up.

"Hello?" called a voice, with the sound of numerous children talking loudly in the background.

"Huh? Sabrina?" I said, "What are you doing at Brock's again? It's only been a few months since you last visited!"

"Haha. Well, he said to me that they're renovating the place, and by chance, I was contacted by the Pokémon HQ from the Hoenn region, who said that Tate would be coming over for some training of some kind. I also happened to have another two weeks' break, and I trusted in Tate's abilities, given him and Liza's reputation in Hoenn, so I decided to leave the gym temporarily until Tate's care and help out Brock over here," she explained.

"Huh? Tate? I thought he and Liza were full-time gym leaders at Mossdeep City!" I wondered.

"Apparently, the Pokémon HQ wanted them to develop their _solo _battling powers as well for some new program they're developing," Sabrina said, "So they're training separately for two weeks. Dad's at the gym as well, so there won't be any worries."

"Cool!" I smiled. "But Sabrina?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Where do you sleep while you're over there? I mean, given the number of siblings Brock has, I can't imagine there being any room or spare beds…"

"I…erm…ahh…hehehe," she chuckled, "…it's a secret…"

"Oohhh…" I teased, "Well, forget that I ever asked, then, if it's too embarrassing, Sabrina!"

"Oh, shut up, Ash!" she laughed, "Now I know why Misty gets frustrated at you so often!"

I sniggered very softly, but chances were that Sabrina could hear me from the other line. But I couldn't help myself laughing – being a psychic, how couldn't Sabrina see this one coming?

"So, anyway, Sabrina," I changed the subject, "Is Brock over there? I've gotta talk to him about Misty."

"Oh? Misty? How is she? It's been nine months, hasn't it? Has she given birth yet?"

"Yeah, she has. She's sleeping right now."

"Oh…wow! That's wonderful! I'll go and get Brock right away – he should be either making lunch, or helping his parents and Forrest with the renovation work," Sabrina said, as I could hear the soft patter of her running down the corridors of the house. Shortly after, Brock answered the phone.

"Hello? Ash?" he said.

"Hey, Brock! How are you guys?" I greeted.

"Good! We're touching up on some painting on the walls, and we've almost finished moving the furniture around. How's Misty? Oh, and congratulations, by the way – Sabrina just told me about it!"

"She's fine, just resting at the moment. She's quite tired after giving birth. We named the baby Ethan," I told him.

"Ethan, huh? Good name, Ash! To tell you the truth, Sabrina was right in predicting that it would be a boy," he laughed as I chuckled along with him.

"Well, we're thinking about coming by to Pallet Town to see everyone again sometime next week. Can you make it, Brock?" I asked.

"Sure! Sabrina can come too, seeing as how this is the beginning of the first week of her break! We'll see you there, so tell us exactly which day you'll arrive!" he cheerfully responded.

"Great! Well, I'll call you sometime, Brock. Take care over there! And take care of Sabrina as well!" I smiled.

Brock chuckled in embarrassment. "Sure will, Ash! You take care too! Tell Misty that Sabrina and I said hi!"

"Alright. Bye, Brock!" I said, ending the call. "Now, there was someone else who I had to call…" I wondered, "Oh yeah, that's right."

Calling the Cerulean Gym, I waited a short time before Daisy's voice sounded from the phone. "Hello? Cerulean Gym here."

"Hi Daisy, it's me – Ash!" I said.

"Oh, hi, Ash? How are you and Misty?" Daisy said, surprised.

"We're both fine over here. But I should tell you this," I said, "As of today, you, Violet and Lily are aunts!"

"Huh? Aunts?" Daisy spoke, dumbfounded. "You mean…"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh my God! She's given birth! Violet, Lily! Come quick!" Daisy cried out. All at once, I could hear rummaging noises as Violet and Lily both came to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ash, is that you?"

"Hi. Misty just gave birth to our baby a short time ago, and we named him Ethan," I told them, before covering my ear as I was bombarded by shrill, high-pitched cries. I might have to get my ear checked by a doctor down the hallway after this…

"Oh my God! That's so great! I can't wait to see the baby!" Daisy cried.

"I wanna see and hold him!" Violet chimed.

"I wanna…ooh, I dunno _what _I'm gonna do, but I've gotta do _something_!" Lily wailed.

"Hahaha. That's fine. We'll make sure to come back to Pallet Town sometime next week with the baby, so could you three possibly come down? I'm sure Misty will be happy to see you all in person again," I said.

"Oh, sure! In fact, it's a perfect time! We haven't got any challengers for the Cascade Badge for awhile, so we _should _be able to come by," Daisy said.

"Great! We'll be sure to see you with all the others! I'll talk to you again soon! Bye now!" I said.

"Bye, Ash! Tell Misty that we said hi and are all happy for her!" Daisy spoke, followed by Violet and Lily.

"Bye, Ash!"

"Take care of Misty!"

After hanging up, I returned to the hospital room to find Bulbasaur exhausted and lying on the floor, as Ethan was now playing with Pikachu again. Chuckling, I lifted up Ethan in my arms again, but this time he didn't wail or complain, instead looking at me in the eyes as I looked back at him.

"Ethan, soon, you're gonna be seeing your grandma, aunts and future-godparents in our hometown. Everyone can't wait to see you!" I smiled, lifting him high into the air with both hands, as a brilliant ray of sunlight beamed upon us. I looked down again at Misty, who had a content, warm smile on her face as she slept peacefully. Then, sitting back down on the chair next to the bed, I watched over both Ethan and my beautiful wife, waiting for her to wake again.

Hours later after Misty awoke and had properly rested, we returned home, with Misty cradling Ethan in the front passenger seat while Pikachu and Bulbasaur slept leaned up against each other at the back, exhausted from playing with Ethan. Raising a baby was not something I was truly ready for, but with Misty by my side, I was convinced that we could now make it through anything that life threw at us, and more.

Then, finally, after deciding on the day of our return and contacting the others, we would set off one morning on what would surely be a happy homecoming.

* * *

**(The next week, on the southern oceans of Kanto)**

"Look out there, Ethan! Look at how pretty the ocean is!" Misty said to Ethan whom she held in her arms, as they looked over the railing of the boat we had purchased. "Oh, look! Dolphins! Look ,honey!"

Peering over the side, we could see a small group of dolphins swimming by the side of our boat and making small jumps, giggling merrily. Ethan was really enjoying the view, with an ecstatic smile on his face. I then decided to release my Pokémon from their Pokéballs, reaching to my belt and calling them out one at a time; Charizard, Swellow and Pidgeot immediately began to flex their wings in the sky, while Squirtle and Bulbasaur sat with Pikachu and talked like old times. **(*)**

"The sea's really calm and peaceful today, Mist," I said, walking over to her side. "Hell, I don't even feel seasick!"

"Ash! Don't swear in front of our baby!" Misty scolded me.

"Hey, hey, relax! I'm still getting used to having him around!" I insisted, shaking my hands in front of me before holding her around her waist.

"I wonder what they'll all be like when they see Ethan," Misty grinned.

"Well, I think we _both _know how Mom'll react," I laughed, "Your sisters would probably react in the same way as her, judging from the phone call I gave them last week."

"Yeah, well, they're always like that, whenever something happens to me that's worth them gossiping about," she smiled. "I wonder if Tracey's gonna play peek-a-boo with Ethan? He used to love playing it with Togepi…"

"Probably will, haha," I chortled. "Well, I should probably get back to the wheels – we're almost there, just about two miles left."

"Okay, Ash, I'll just sit down here with Ethan while you're at it," Misty said, walking over in front of the cabin and seating herself on a wide beach chair and placing Ethan on top of her. Ethan waved his arms about, as a gesture to Misty signifying that he wanted to be lifted into the air. Recognizing this, Misty lifted him up above her, as Ethan began to stretch his arms and legs wide like an aeroplane, expressions of sheer joy on his face. Smiling, I looked forward again to the sea line, before grimacing and peering forth to get a better view of something in the water that was coming towards us.

Scaly skin…dark shadows…_a dark, black carapace…_

_No…It __**couldn't**__ be…_

"Misty! Take Ethan and get inside the cabin! Now!" I yelled frantically.

"Huh? What's going on, Ash?" she replied, flustered.

"Just go! It's happening again! Charizard, Swellow, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pikachu, assume battle positions!" I bellowed.

"_**What's**__ happening again, Ash_?" Misty shrieked.

"The same thing that happened to my parents when they were out at sea!" I called back, looking at Misty's face which went white with fear and horror. She promptly held Ethan tightly, before running into the cabin.

And then…_**chaos**_…

A horde of Gyarados rocked the entire boat, causing it to sway madly from side to side. Soon enough, another group of Tentacruel rushed up to the boat and rammed their powerful tentacles on the ship's body, tearing off some of the weaker sections and forcing it to take in water. Charizard, Swellow and Pidgeot fought back furiously with a flurry of Flamethrower, Aerial Ace and Wing Attack, backed up by Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle's own attacks, but to no great effect. Even the Thunder Armor technique used by Pikachu and Swellow proved to be ultimately ineffective against the great Gyarados, who merely seemed to be annoyed by it. This served only to make me gain an insight of how much more powerful than me that my dad was, in his prime.

Then, with a titanic surge of water from beneath us, the boat was catapulted into the air, spinning madly before splashing back into the water. But unlike Mom and Dad's boat, ours wasn't so lucky – we were now completely capsized and overturned into the water.

Swimming desperately underwater, I rushed over to the cabin where Misty and Ethan were, but to my horror, they were now gone. Pure disbelief and fear overtook me, rendering my every muscle powerless, as if I was paralysed. Squirtle was swimming about swiftly on my left, doing the best he could to help Pikachu and Bulbasaur who were also in the water. Then, as I looked downwards, my eyes were met with the sight of a black Gyarados lurching towards me, upon which I gave up all hope, closing my eyes to accept the inevitable…

* * *

**(Some hours later)**

After feeling life within me for a reason I could not know why, I let out several wheezing coughs – the water was freezing. I opened my eyes to see that I was actually in my own room, with Mom, Brock, Professor Oak, Tracey, Gary, Sabrina and Misty's sisters all standing together, looking at me with eyes of both sadness and concern.

"Wha…what happened? How did I get here?" I panted.

"Relax, Ash. Charizard flew here carrying you in his arms after what happened out at sea. Pidgeot and Swellow came with him, with Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle on their backs. You were lucky you made it in time – a few more minutes, and you would've been lost forever, for sure," Brock said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

I didn't care of how I felt, or if I was in a good condition or bad. "…where is Misty? Where is Ethan?"

All of them then had glum and sullen looks on their faces, looking at each other as if something was wrong.

"Ash…" Mom sobbed.

"…where…are they…mom?" I asked again, my voice hardly audible due to the shock I was currently experiencing.

"They're gone, Ash," Daisy cried, wiping away tears from her eyes. "…they're not coming back…we never found their bodies, either…"

My eyes drew wide as the world around me seemed to go dark and silent. She…she couldn't…she couldn't be gone from my life forever…our baby…barely one week old…we've been married for not even year…

"Misty! Misty~~!" I wailed and kicked, tossing away my bed covers violently.

"Ash! Ash! Calm down! Control yourself!" Brock shouted, pinning me down on the bed as I continued to twist and turn.

"Settle down, Ashy-boy! Throwing tantrums isn't gonna help!" Gary chimed, helping Brock. Professor Oak and Mom were silent, only looking down in dejection.

"Ash…" Sabrina cried softly, along with Misty's sisters.

"Someone control him! He's in no physical condition to be behaving like this!" Brock cried over his shoulder. "Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder! We have no choice!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur nodded, leaping on top of the bed and preparing his sleep-inducing scents from his bulb, before a soft hand came onto him, stopping his actions.

"…I'll do it…" Sabrina said softly, as Bulbasaur agreed and hopped off the bed. All at once, I could feel her psychic energy rushing into me, but I felt no pain... Only peace. "Sshh…I'm here for you, Ash. We all are. Your pain is difficult to bear, we understand. But please…please calm yourself, for now," her soothing voice flowed in my head.

"Sabrina…" I sighed, as she planted a soft kiss on my forehead to comfort me.

"I'll let you see her again…any time you wish to, you will see her in your dreams," her voice said again, as I soon fell into a state of deep sleep.

* * *

"Ash?" a familiar voice called out to me as I found myself standing in a field of pure-white flowers. Looking behind, I was shocked to see none other than Misty, who was sitting under a large willow tree, with Ethan in her lap.

"Mist…y…" I whispered, holding out my right hand and walking towards her.

"Dada…" Ethan smiled, waving his arms about in the air.

As I finally stood before her, I collapsed onto my knees, before rushing forward and embracing her tightly. "Mist…I thought I lost you…"

"You never lost me, Ash," she replied, gently rubbing my back and planting a kiss on my lips, which I returned. "I'll always be with you _here,_" she said, placing her hand over my heart, "And so will our child."

"Mist…I _need _you by my side…I _can't live_ without you..." I sobbed, dampening her white silk gown with my tears.

"I'm sorry…Ash…" she cried, as her figure suddenly began to float away from me along with Ethan. The beautiful scenery of flowers was then replaced by a pitch-black void, as I reached as hard as I could to hold her again, but to no avail.

She was gone.

* * *

"Mist!" I jolted up from my sweat-drenched pillow. It was only a dream…

A funeral service for Misty and Ethan was held, two days after the accident. There were no bodies to bury, so two small gravestones were put up instead, in the garden of our house.

I couldn't bear to lift my head once to see the inscription on the gravestones – I would not believe that they were dead, until I saw them with my own eyes. I would get them back…

I dearly wished that such thoughts could be true…but the reality of things was quite different…Misty and Ethan were not coming back.

My beloved wife and son, for whom I would gladly give up my own life in an instant…taken from me forever…

**(End of Chapter 9)  
**

* * *

**A/N: **I'll get to working on Chapter 10 right away, but I have to think up of some ideas so that it'll be a longer chapter. It will probably be up by next week.

Please leave your reviews.

**(*)** I decided to switch around Ash's Pokémon from the party which accompanied him to the Seafoam Islands, as he would've shuffled them around during the nine months.


	11. Divided

**Chapter 10**

**Divided**

**(Two Years Later)**

"Misty!" I cried, my back flying off the base of my bed, startling Pikachu. Another nightmare…Realizing this, I held my head in my hands, wiping a trail of sweat from my forehead. The _same_ nightmare…I've had it every night for the past week, and it was now starting to drive me mad. The nightmare of the day that I lost her and Ethan…

"Pi…ka?" Pikachu whimpered, coming onto my lap and laying a paw on my shoulder to comfort me.

"Relax. It was nothing, buddy…just another nightmare…" I said, patting his side before taking a bottle of whiskey that lay next to the LCD clock to my left and chugging a quarter of it down. I never drank prior to the day of the accident, but now…now was a different story. Pikachu had a sullen look on his face as he looked downwards – he missed Marill dearly.

"Pikachupi, ka?" he asked after a while.

"Yeah. Another one about her. I can't get her out of my mind, Pikachu!" I grunted, groping my hair. Two years had passed, and yet her memory was fresh in my mind, as if the disaster had happened barely yesterday.

I collapsed back into my bed, trying desperately to relieve the pain caused by the memory of her and Ethan's deaths, with happy memories from our past: the day Misty and I first met…the days when we were caught by others sitting or standing under the mistletoe…our first kiss, years after she had departed to go back to the Cerulean Gym…our wedding day…but nothing could distract me from the most prominent – and most painful – memory of them all: the sight of Misty's tears. Throughout our journeys together, I always felt happy whenever she smiled. Although I was too immature and young to recognize love back then, as the years passed, I realized that she had feelings for me all along – feelings, which I was too stupid and preoccupied with my training to see. But the very sight of Misty when she was either sad or shedding tears was enough to break my heart a thousand times over. I hated to see her cry, more than anything. I wished her to be happy all the time, but knew that I couldn't be there all the time by her side to ensure that. And now, after she disappeared from my life altogether, apart from my dreams, that reality was one which would never be true again.

"Pi…ka…pi?" Pikachu tugged at me again, bringing me back from my daydreaming.

"I'm sorry again, buddy…it's just that…Misty and Ethan's deaths are all too much for me to deal with, even now, after two years. Hell, how I wanna see them so much…but now I never will. _Heh_, unless I'm some kinda _ghost _or something, to see them again," I whispered, before coming to a realization.

_That was it._

_A __**ghost**__._

_And the only way that could happen is…_

_Lavender Town…_

_**Pokémon Tower.**_

I looked at the red LCD clock next to me. 2:36 A.M…

"Pikachu, I've got an idea. I don't think you're gonna like this, but..." I said to him.

"Pi?"

"We're going to Lavender Town."

"Pi? Pika pika pichu pikaka Pikachupi chu?" ("_What? You're not serious you're thinking about going through __**'that'**__ again, just to see Misty?")_

"I'm afraid so, buddy," I sighed, turning over to the other side of my pillow. "We leave in the morning. So get some rest."

_I'm coming for you, Mist…we'll be together again…I promise…_

_

* * *

_

**(Later)**

"Charizard, return!" I said, recalling him after he had flown us from our home in the Seafoam Islands, to the base of Pokémon Tower. With my arm drooping in sorrow after I placed his Pokéball back in its place in my belt, I began to trudge towards the door of the great building in front of me. As always, there was an eerie mist surrounding it, as well as in the mass graveyard in the distance, for Pokémon and people alike. Shrill and mysterious cries emanated from inside, as I smirked.

"Gengar…Ghastly…hehehe…always up to your tricks…"

Every single step I took made me feel as if a part of me was dying with it, as I treaded towards the front entrance. But then, as I placed my hand upon the wood of the door, I heard a twig snap. Sighing, I made a guess as to what would follow.

_Prepare for trouble!_

_And make it double…_

_To protect the world from – _

I turned around very slowly, looking at them with pure sorrow in my face, stopping them immediately in the middle of their recital. "Jessie…James…Meowth…_please, I'm begging you_…_**not **today_…" I said, almost lifelessly, before continuing on into the building.

"Huh? What's wrong with the twerp? Why's he acting like that?" I heard James wonder as I entered. It had been a full two years since our last encounter.

"Maybe some'din's up wit 'im?" Meowth said.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's follow him to find out!" Jessie declared.

"Eeee! But Jessie! Don't you remember the _last _time we were here, and those two horrible ghost Pokémon put us on that terrible merry-go-round for _hours_?" Jessie shrieked, before being pulled in by the ear by Jessie. "Eeee! I don't wanna go!"

I stopped by the staircase as I saw them all enter. "_Hey_, twerp! At least give us an explanation! Why are you acting this way?" Jessie bellowed.

I turned my head to them. "…have you ever lost a loved one? And I don't mean 'lost', as in you don't know where they are…have you ever '_lost'_ someone, who will never come back into your life?"

"Huh? What do you…mean?" Jessie's tone shrank dramatically.

"Misty…is dead," I let it out. "I intend to see her again, here…somehow…"

"Twerp, wait!" Jessie called out in a friendly way, running after me and stopping me by holding my hand. "Do you really mean that…the orange-haired twerpette…your _wife_…is dead?" she whimpered, receiving a nod from me. Although Jessie, James and Meowth were theoretically our enemy, they were indeed good people on the inside, driven to join Team Rocket purely due to circumstances beyond their control: Jessie, as she had nobody to turn to after the disappearance of her mother, James, due to him wanting out of his mansion to escape the overwhelming influence of his parents, and Meowth, as he had nowhere else to go. And all three of them knew the true value of having a family, and someone by your side.

"…yes," I repeated, looking into her eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to keep on moving."

"Could we…could we maybe…tag along?" James requested, his voice shaking nervously. "None of us wanna stay here by ourselves, with all the ghost Pokémon around..."

"There's only _two _around here, now, James," I smirked bitterly, "And they're both my friends. What are you afraid of?"

"But…but…" his teeth chattered.

"Alright, then. Stay close, all of you, and just follow me," I chuckled.

"Hooo! 'Dank God for dat!" Meowth let out a sigh of relief, he and James seeming to be a bit more relieved as they followed. Jessie was the only one of them showing no sign of nervousness whatsoever – it must have been due to the fact that she may be thinking about her own mother.

After a few minutes of ascending some stairs, we finally came to the final room up high in the Tower, where cackling and mischievous laughter could be heard from inside. Gengar and Ghastly were sure having a blast inside…

"Well, this is it," I said, turning around to face the trio as I placed my hand on the handle. "Don't scream, guys."

"We-we…wewewewe…we won't!...I think," James shuddered.

"Y-yeah, sure! We'll just sit still, right 'ere! Right, Jess?" Meowth grinned fearfully up at Jessie.

"Keep it together, you two!" Jessie slapped them both on the back of their heads, causing them to rub the spots where they were struck.

I opened the door, and sure enough, Ghastly and Gengar were playing yet another one of their favorite games – making faces at each other. Surprisingly, they seemed to have expected me here today, with hardly a surprised look on their faces as they floated over to me. And to think that ghosts weren't psychic…

"Gengar, geng!"

"Ghaaaastly!" they both grinned at me, causing me to levitate slightly with their power and tickling me a little.

"Hey, hey, cut it out, guys," I smiled, gradually being lowered to the ground before looking over at James and Meowth, whose faces were frozen in fear and looked blue as they bravely attempted a smile.

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled, receiving a harmless lick from both of them. "Pika~aa!" he whined, wiping himself.

"Guys, judging from your not-so-surprised faces, I'm guessing that you knew I was coming. And if you knew that I was coming, then you must also know what I came _for_," I said as they both nodded. "So…can you do it for me? Can you turn me into a ghost again? Just temporarily."

I lied. In truth, I wanted to remain a ghost forever…to be with her again for all eternity…

Ghastly and Gengar looked at each other with eerie faces, before chuckling all of a sudden and disappearing towards a shadowy portion of the room.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I cried, "You _know _I don't like it when one of you guys do that! Haunter made me think that I was gonna be turned into a _doll again_ during my rematch with Sabrina years ago!"

"Hello, Ash…" a female voice said from within the shadows. It sounded so familiar… "It's been awhile…"

"Who…who's there?" I asked, moving towards the voice. Pikachu, being wary, began to charge volts of electricity in his electrical sacs.

"It's me," the girl said again, footsteps drawing towards me as she emerged from the shadows. Thank God - It was Sabrina.

"Huh? Sabrina? What are you doing here?" I gasped.

"I received a vision in my sleep last week, that you were going to come here today. I tried calling you at your home several times, but you would never answer, and I got worried about you. I called Brock and even your Mom, but even _they _couldn't get across to you…Knowing how much you miss Misty, I could only guess that you wanted to come here to become a ghost, so that you could see her," she said.

"That…that's right," I admitted.

"You…you weren't intending on actually…remaining a ghost for all-time, were you?" she whispered, coming over to me and placing a hand gently on my arm while her eyes glimmered as she looked into mine.

"I…I…" I whimpered. She read me like a book. Although I was fairly adept with my powers of Aura from my exploits years ago, it was still nothing when compared to Sabrina's psychic power.

"It's alright. Let's not talk about that," she looked sideways, insinuating a change in subject.

"Haunter, Haunt!" Haunter came out from behind her to greet me.

"Hey, old buddy," I smiled. "Are you taking good care of Sabrina?"

"He _sure_ is," Sabrina smiled. "Anyway, there's something very important we have to talk to you about…"

"…'we'?"

Just then, another figure emerged from the shadows. It was none other than _Mewtwo_.

"Hello again," he said to me, his voice reverberating throughout the room, as James and Meowth winced again in fear. Glancing at them, he turned his attention back to me. "Have you been well?"

"…I've been better," I mumbled. "Why are _you _here? I thought you were protecting the clone Pokémon beneath Mt. Quena?"

"Yes, I was. But they should be safe by themselves there, for now, as those who seek to enslave them no longer possess the necessary memory to track them."

"It was _Mewtwo _who gave me the vision of you coming here," Sabrina explained.

"I was contacted in my own dreams by Darkrai and Cresselia, agents to Arceus himself, warning me of the events which are to come. And in turn, to reach out to you, I communicated with Sabrina in her sleep," Mewtwo said.

"Darkrai and Cresselia? I thought there were a few of them throughout the world! In fact, I came across _three _Darkrai in my travels! How do you know this isn't just a trick by that Darkrai?" I questioned.

"Yes, you are right in saying that there are more than one Darkrai throughout the world. But this Darkrai…this _agent of Arceus_…he is the one you encountered, attempting to stop the conflict between Dialga and Palkia. You can rest assured, that this one's intentions are pure," Mewtwo stated.

"Alright, then," I said, before turning back to Sabrina, "So what is this important 'thing' you have to tell me about?"

What Sabrina said next shocked me utterly, sending shivers down every inch of my body.

"Misty…is alive…"

…_there was still hope…_

**(End of Chapter 10)**_  
_

_

* * *

_

**A/N:** That's Chapter 10. Sorry if it seems really short…it's mainly intended to be a filler in terms of time transition. The next chapter will be focused on Misty, involving flashbacks, and will be similarly modest in length.

I tihnk it's gonna be really difficult for me to keep Mewtwo in character over the next chapters - most of the stories I've read with him included, the authors constantly make Mewtwo refer to Ash by his name, which I don't think he ever does in either movie he was in. I guess I just have to imagine Dan Green speaking all of the lines I give Mewtwo, and I'll be alright. :S

Please leave your reviews! :)


	12. Abandoned

**Character Ages Update/Reminder: **Ash & Misty (22, Misty being slightly older), Brock & Sabrina (27), Delia (41), Professor Oak (62).

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Abandoned**

**(Flashback, Misty's POV)**

**(The day of the accident, two years ago)**

I was resting my eyes whilst sitting on a long, white beach chair, while Ethan was having a fun time playing with Marill. I don't know why Pikachu and Bulbasaur got bored easily of playing with him – Marill looked very happy. Then, deciding to have a look at the sea coast, I got up from my seat and picked Ethan up, as Marill followed behind. Ethan immediately hugged me affectionately, laughing with joy in my arms.

"Come on, baby, let's go to the side of the ship, so we can see the beautiful view!" I smiled. Walking out of the cabin we were in, I could see Ash at the head of the boat with his hands on the wheel. We exchanged glances, smiling at each other as I walked over close to the railing, making sure that I was still a safe distance away from it, as I had Ethan in my arms.

Moments later, I small a large-sized forming in the water several yards away from us, and up popped the heads of a small school Gyarados; both male and female. Looking down at my belt, I took care that Ethan wouldn't fall out of my right arm, as I reached for Gyarados' Pokéball with my left. Calling him out, I unleashed him onto the ocean.

"Shoaa!" he hissed freely, moving his body about after coming out of the confinement of his Pokéball.

"Hi, Gyarados! There's some other Gyarados over there – why don't you go out and meet them? Oh, but make sure to keep an eye on our boat!" I encouraged him. Nodding, Gyarados swam off happily to meet the others, conversing with each of them. He returned later, as the school left for a different direction, upon which I called him back into his Pokéball.

"Look out there, Ethan! Look at how pretty the ocean is!" I said, walking closer to the rails for a better view. Then, another group of ripples – much smaller than the last – started to form near the side of the ship where I was standing, as I peered down for a closer look. Soon enough, a group of dolphins started to leap up from the water, giggling optimistically. "Oh, look! Dolphins! Look ,honey!"

I pointed my finger out, while looking down at Ethan's face. Ethan looked forward with a curious expression, before he began to clap and smile at the sight of the dolphins' display.

"The sea's really calm and peaceful today, Mist," I heard Ash say as he stood beside me, leaning with one arm on the railing. "Hell, I don't even feel seasick!"

"Ash! Don't swear in front of our baby!" I berated him.

"Hey, hey, relax! I'm still getting used to having him around!" he waved his hands in front of him like a scared chicken. It was always funny how he'd stand up to basically anyone when they argued with him, but when it came to either me or Delia berating him, Ash would start acting like a frightened little puppy dog.

Deciding to let him off, I changed the subject, grinning as I looked down at our baby. "I wonder what they'll all be like when they see Ethan?"

"Well, I think we _both _know how Mom'll react," Ash laughed, "Your sisters would probably react in the same way as her, judging from the phone call I gave them last week."

"Yeah, well, they're always like that, whenever something happens to me that's worth them gossiping about," I smiled. "I wonder if Tracey's gonna play peek-a-boo with Ethan? He used to love playing it with Togepi…"

"Probably will, haha," he smiled back, before turning around and speaking to me over his shoulder. "Well, I should probably get back to the wheels – we're almost there, just about two miles left."

"Okay, Ash, I'll just sit down here with Ethan while you're at it," I replied, turning to go back to where I was sitting before, taking Ethan with me and putting him on my lap upon sitting down. Ethan then waved his arms about, mumbling something incomprehensible: he wanted me to play 'aeroplane' with him again. Smiling, I lifted him into the air, looking into his eyes which sparkled like sunlight on the ocean. He had the smile of an angel. Bring him back down, I hugged him warmly. Becoming a mother was definitely one of the best things that happened in my life, along with meeting and ending up marrying Ash, my one and only love since my childhood. I closed my eyes, deciding to rest myself for a brief moment, before…

"Misty! Take Ethan and get inside the cabin! Now!" I heard Ash yelling like mad.

"Huh? What's going on, Ash?" I replied in a daze.

"Just go! It's happening again! Charizard, Swellow, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pikachu, assume battle positions!" Ash cried out.

"_**What's**__ happening again, Ash_?" I screamed. Ethan was now crying and wailing in panic.

"The same thing that happened to my parents when they were out at sea!" he shouted. My face went stiff and cold with fear, as I recalled Ash's story from months ago, on the night I found out that I was pregnant with Ethan. I held onto Ethan for dear life, running as fast as I could back to where I was in the cabin.

But in that instant, the entire boat began to shake and ratter, accompanied by the noise of scales crashing against its body, and the shrill cries of Gyarados. It couldn't possibly be that group of Gyarados from before, could it? They were so peaceful…

Finding no time to take proper shelter, I shuddered before crouching on the ground, holding Ethan more tightly than ever as his cries continued on and on. My fear was worsened, after another series of thuds came from the side of the ship, sounding like tentacles which attached themselves firmly onto the boat. Paralyzed by fear, I couldn't find the strength to move or even call out any of my Pokémon to accompany Marill, who was standing beside me, but hoped and prayed that Ash would protect us. He always has…

At last, finding the courage to at least raise my head to view what was going on, I saw Ash's Charizard, Swellow and Pidgeot retaliating as best as they could against our attackers. But it was a losing battle – there were far too many Gyarados surrounding us. Intrigued, I looked at the Gyarados, who weren't the regular blue, but a pitch-dark black. I winced before turning around, realizing that they were indeed the kind of Gyarados who attacked Delia and Chris, many years ago.

My heart raced and plummeted at the same time, as I felt a great tremor erupting below us. Feeling and fearing that this would be the end, I held Ethan for what could be the last time, my tears falling endlessly onto his cheeks. As I had expected, a huge rush of water came right out from under us, sending the boat – and us – on a spiraling course through the air. The boat was now submerged and sinking rapidly – I hurriedly forced myself to come back to my senses, looking down to see Ethan who was choking and coughing, but taking in more and more seawater. I had to save him…I swam as fast as I could with the help of Marill up towards the surface, somewhat relieved that Ethan will get fresh oxygen. But all hope dissipated, as I felt the tentacles of a black Tentacruel yanking me deeper and deeper down with it towards the bottom of the sea.

Then, a Gyarados rose up, his eyes glaring at us from point-blanc range right in front of us. Instinctively, I quickly called out Gyarados and Golduck, who started to fight to protect me. But this only served to irritate them, as they knocked out both Gyarados and Golduck with merciless whips from their powerful tails. Finally, losing all hope and running out of oxygen, my eyes fluttered closed, just as I saw the mouth of the black Gyarados open to engulf us in darkness…

* * *

**(Hours later)**

"Huh? Wh-where…am I?" I groaned, rubbing my head and drawing myself up. But I couldn't – every inch of my body ached, and I now found it difficult to even breathe. I looked around, to see a dark chamber which was poorly illuminated, with only a few fire torches on the surrounding walls. But something even more shocking was how I felt emotionally – I suddenly felt a burning desire for power…for domination…

I shook my head, telling myself that this isn't the person who I am, and that all of this must be simply a nightmare I was having at present, whilst we were still peacefully on course for Pallet Town, on the open ocean. _'Hey, why don't I just pinch myself? They say that always works when you try to wake up from a dream!' _I thought, and tried it. _Nothing…_I tried it again and again, growing more desperate before realizing that it wasn't a dream or a nightmare, gaining nothing but sores and marks on my skin from it. As I looked down, to my relief, Ethan was still with me in my arms, small breaths flowing onto my arm as he slept. I held him again, crying and wishing that Ash would come to save us from this place.

"Welcome, Misty Waterflower…or should I say…Misty _Ketchum_, wife of the Chosen One?" I heard a voice laugh softly, echoing throughout the chamber. I winced and tensed up immediately, Ethan being woken by the sound of pure evil which surrounded us.

"Who…who's there?" I whimpered.

"My apologies…first, why don't I introduce myself? My name is Julius Aeneas, and these are my chambers," it rang out again.

"Why...why don't you _come out here_, so I can see who you are?" I shouted bravely. _'Bad move,'_ I thought to myself.

"…very well," the voice said again, before the figure of a man emerged from the shadows. His hair was a dark brown, his fringe covering his eyes with separated streaks, but not entirely hiding them. He was quite tall, about six feet, and he looked fairly handsome, maybe about 27 years old. He was garbed completely in black, with a flowing cape on his back. "Satisfied now?" he asked, leaning over and looking into my eyes. His eyes were a truly fearsome sight to behold – they constantly shimmered between a normal black shade, and a fiery red, with yellow pupils.

"Who…_what _are you?" I shuddered.

"I am the chief servant of Apothes, and the steward of his future empire, on Earth. That is all you must know at this point," he growled. "But first, you will come with me – your servitude, and your _training_, is soon to begin."

He turned around, motioning at me with an authoritative hand to follow behind him. I refused, drawing a glare from him before I felt searing pain in my body as his eyes glowed a sheer blue. Realizing that he would kill me if I refused, I had no choice but to follow behind him, as we began to ascend a long, winding staircase of stone.

After a few minutes of following, I finally gathered up the courage to ask him another question. "What…what have you done with my Pokémon?"

"You can rest assured, that they are safe…_for now_…you will see them again, when I deem the time to be right."

"Wh…what do you mean, '_when the time is right_'?" I questioned him.

"Oh…_you will see_…" he smirked evilly.

"What have you done with Ash?" I demanded to know.

"He is safe. My master ordered me to ensure that he and his Pokémon all live on, for he must soon face the trials my master has set for him," he explained.

"Huh? _What _trials? What are you talking about?"

He stopped walking, causing me to nearly bump into him. "You are aware of the fact that he is the Chosen One, correct?"

"Y…yes…?"

"He must prove himself worthy, and fulfill the prophecy of Arceus. That is what the Trials are designed for."

…this guy was sure difficult with his explanations…why did he have to speak in such a cryptic manner? "What? What kind of 'prophecy' are you talking about? The 'Chosen One', as you so call it, is just the name for the one who would calm the conflict between the Three Legendary Birds, by helping Lugia! It's just an old tradition on Shamouti Island!" I yelled.

"…there is _much _that you do not understand…" he scoffed, before proceeding to walk again.

"Huh?"

"The prophecy of The Chosen One goes much deeper than that, I'm afraid, my dear," he smiled, shaking his head. "You recall this… '_Melody'_ recanting the lines which state that '_Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to ash__'_, correct?"

_How did he know of Melody?_ "Uhh…yes…" I nodded.

"In truth, the fact that your husband was the 'ash' being referred to by the prophecy, was nothing more than a mere, random coincidence. The truth is…he was chosen by Arceus from the beginning, and his birth foreseen by the God of all Pokémon, since the dawn of time, when he created the world. The legends say that there was only _one _creator of the world, Arceus, but they are wrong."

"What?"

"In fact, there were _two _– Arceus, and Apothes, my master. My master, soon becoming jealous of the love and worship Pokémon and people alike showered upon him, turned to embrace the powers of darkness, and soon became Arceus' greatest rival and enemy. And I believe you can imagine for yourself what happened after that…"

My eyes darted to and fro, while I attempted to comprehend these new facts. But then, I felt another pang of pain, and the same, evil thoughts flooding my head as before, forcing me onto my knees. "What's…what's happening to me?"

"Oh, that?" Julius peered down at me, "That is the aura of this place. It is a place of evil, and the moment you wake, the aura will try to corrupt you." He crouched down, his eyes looking into mine, before he gently caressed my chin and whispered softly like a tempter. "Do not resist – it is more difficult to do so, than to give in. And when you do, you will achieve power beyond any mortal's dreams…including that of immortality. And besides, your dream since childhood was to become the world's greatest water Pokémon trainer, no?"

"Im…immortality…World's greatest…water Pokémon trainer…" I stammered, almost becoming overwhelmed with my desires and the darkness that surrounded me, before I came to my senses again in the nick of time. "No! I love Ash, I love my baby Ethan, and you're _not _going to take either of them away from me by tempting me with such things! I'd rather _die_, than to betray them!" I shouted.

"Hmm…interesting…you remind me of myself, the day _I _was brought here," his smile disappeared, replaced by a dull, lifeless expression.

"You? What happened to you?" I asked.

"My wife…and child…were taken from me, by _his _influence."

"Your…_your _family was…taken?"

"I will not speak of it – now _come_, your training awaits," he growled again, moving slightly faster than before. Not wanting to be wracked with pain again, I scurried after him.

"One final question," I said, "…what happened to Ash's father?"

"…why do you ask?" he turned his head slightly.

"They were in a…similar accident as ours…what did you do with him?"

"He…" Julius stammered somewhat nervously, before putting on yet another sly grin. "…he is dead."

"D…dead?"

"Yes. You will _not_ see him here, I assure you," he replied, walking on.

Something didn't feel right. His initial nervous tone, before he quickly changed it to make his account sound more feasible…I didn't believe that Ash's dad was dead. He must be in here…somewhere.

"You're lying," I flatly said.

"Am I, now?" he scoffed. "_Your opinion_…but first…" he chuckled. "…why don't you look down at the baby who's in your arms?"

I froze in fear. Ethan…he's just a baby, and couldn't possibly have the mental power to resist the corrupting influence of our surroundings. I looked down, my head shaking nervously along every inch it descended, before my eyes met Ethan's. _No…_

Staring back at me were not the two beautiful, chocolate-brown and pearl-like eyes that I had come to know, grow fond of and love over the last week. They were nothing but cruel and evil mirrors of light which stared back at me with a glowing red hue. His beaming smile which meant the world to both me and Ash was now a sickening, evil smirk, as the sight of the child in my arms tore my heart in two. And it was all it took to break my resistance – I now completely let my guard down, overwhelmed by emotion, as I felt the darkness swirling about and engulfing me in a grasp that I could no longer escape or hide from. _Power…domination…immortality…it will all be mine…_And yet, something deep inside me kept on telling me that this was wrong. A conscience lay within me, even now...

"Very good…" Julius whispered, sensing that I had at last fallen victim to the influence of my surroundings. "Now follow me – your training will soon begin…"

I stood up with a newfound strength, one which I never thought possible. Power seemed to course and brim throughout my body, unlocking secrets in my mind regarding powers that I never experienced before. "_Yes…my master…"_

_

* * *

_

**(Two years later, present day)**

Ash Ketchum…you were my best friend, and the love of my life since my childhood. You made me feel what I never felt before when you professed your love to me, four years ago…You made me think that the greatest dream of my life had come true when you married me, and again when I was pregnant with our child. But now…there is only _one _love in my life, and that is _power_.

_Ash…I love you…you have no idea how much I want you and to feel safe in your arms, right now…_

My power has grown exponentially, and my Pokemon know no equal in power or strength, from any other water-type Pokémon…Suicune is now but a shriveled mouse compared to their power, and they have only Kyogre to best, before they prove their sheer superiority. Not even _Prima_ or _Wallace _are powerful enough to defeat me now.

_I don't want this…I know my dream since I was young was to become the world's greatest water Pokémon trainer…but not like this…_

You have no idea what kind of power I have gained and accumulated over the past two years, Ash…your powers of Aura are _nothing _compared to Julius', or even mine. _Yes_, I have now learnt – painstakingly – to master its power, combining and fusing it with the dark powers bestowed on me by Julius. And I am now _immortal_.

_I don't want immortality…I can't live on, knowing that I'll be alone without you, Ash…_

Do you see him, Ash? Our child, Ethan? He is adept in the power of Aura as well, even at the mere age of two. His power grows daily, and the fire in his eyes never subsides. I eagerly await the day that his power will grow to become the most powerful of all Aura users. Even me. It will be interesting to see your eyes filled with terror, as all that you love turns against you, and ultimately…destroys you…

_Ash…please find us…I want Ethan to grow up living a normal life…I can't bear to watch him go on like this…_

I was a fool to ever love you. I was a fool to ever contemplate having such feelings which only demonstrate weakness. I do not tolerate weakness anymore. All the mortals on this planet must bow down and serve master Apothes…or die…

_Ash…loving you was the best thing that happened to me in my life, and I don't ever want to forget…_

I will _kill _you, Ash Ketchum…I will end your life…with my own two hands…

_Ash…I love you…no matter what happens…I will love you…_

**(End of chapter 11) **

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** That's Chapter 11 done. I'm kind of relieved, to be honest – writing dark, evil stuff like this really drains me psychologically, and can cause a really bad mood swing to occur, if I keep it up for too long.

Before I forget to mention it, Julius is intentionally keeping Misty separately from Chris, so that Chris can't help her, and that Misty will be much more easily corruptible.

Anyway, please review again, and the next chapter should be up soon enough. Chapter updates are actually being made far more often than I thought. The story seems to flow well for me when writing. :S


	13. The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 12**

**The Beginning of the End**

**(Pokémon Tower)**

**(Ash's POV)**

"Misty? ...alive?" I exhaled hoarsely. All this time, I thought she and Ethan were _dead_. A wave of guilt and frustration rushed over me, overshadowing the relief and joy I initially felt – how could I have quit so easily?

"Yes," Sabrina nodded, "Unlike what we previously thought, Misty and Ethan have, in fact, survived the disaster of two years ago. Although I don't know personally where they are, Mewtwo might be able to tell you," she turned to him.

"In the vision I received from Darkrai and Cresselia, I gained a glimpse of how this entire situation came to be. They showed me what happened many millennia ago, when Julius was first corrupted by Apothes. As a result of that day, the first 'pure' shadow Pokémon came to be. But before I continue…do you possess knowledge of the nature of shadow Pokémon?" he asked.

"N…no…"I stammered, before having a guess. "Are they similar to Mirage Pokémon?"

Mewtwo shook his head. "No, they are not. Although the Mirage Pokémon you mentioned may be more powerful than Shadow Pokémon with respects to the fact that they are invulnerable to attacks by normal Pokémon, the powers of Shadow Pokémon are, in fact, much more fearsome and terrible."

"But how?" I questioned, "If Shadow Pokémon aren't invulnerable to attacks, then what makes them more powerful than Mirage Pokémon?"

"…corruption…"

"Huh?"

"Shadow Pokémon are able to corrupt the hearts of the Pokémon they defeat in battle, should they be given enough time to do so. As more regular Pokémon fall prey to their relentless attacks, the greater their numbers swell," he explained. "You must be ever cautions when facing them."

"Eek! Did you hear _that_, Meowth? They can corrupt Pokémon that they defeat!" James squealed, clutching onto Meowth for dear life, causing the feline to cough and splutter due to a lack of air.

"Aah! Let go! You're suffocating me!" Meowth wailed, as James released him, only for both of them to receive another round of slaps to their heads from Jessie.

"F-facing them?" I drew back.

"Correct. You alone possess the power to stop Apothes' plans, once and for all," he said.

"Me? How?"

"You are the Chosen One, are you not?" he tilted his head.

"Y-yes…" I faltered, "But…that's just a prophecy from Shamouti Island – surely it has _nothing _to do with this!"

"Incorrect. The Chosen One is in truth, the selected Champion of Arceus himself, as foretold through the millennia by his prophets. But none of his ancient prophets live to this day, so this fact has been kept secret by Giratina, Palkia, Dialga, and Arceus. Being the designated Guardian of the Chosen One, Ho-oh has been instructed to watch over you. Lugia had also been informed of your imminent arrival, prior to your visit to Shamouti Island, which was an event controlled by fate."

"Ho-oh…is my…guardian?" I asked.

"Yes. That is the reason why you saw him several times throughout your journeys, and also why he saved your mother while you were still in her womb during the attack on your parents' boat, many years ago."

"But then…why didn't he come for us on the day that Misty was taken away from me? Why didn't he _come_?" I demanded to know.

"Because the Prophecy states that the End is inevitable, and the Chosen One is destined to face his trials when the day arrives."

"_What? _I don't understand you…"

"It was _fate _that your wife was taken away from you. It is all part of a final test, referred to as the 'Trials of the Heart', designed by the co-existing wills of Arceus and Apothes: whilst Arceus wishes to test whether your heart will remain pure during the trials that are to come, Apothes seeks to corrupt and enslave you, by filling your heart with ruthless ambition, a lust for power, and the will to dominate."

"Co-existing…what do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Allow me to explain in simple terms: Arceus and Apothes, both being gods, have the power to oversee, manipulate and foretell events to serve their own will. But in this case, their wills conflict, thus creating a future event which's outcome is impossible to predict. You alone must make the choice – the fate of the world is in your hands, once more," he said.

"Wow, talk about tough luck – how many times has this twerp come and gone from a life-or-death encounter, anyway?" Jessie murmured.

I stayed silent, trying to ponder what this all meant. Thoughts raced through my mind regarding this 'prophecy', conflicting with my personal wish to save Misty from wherever she may be.

"Back to my first question - what happened to Misty? Do either of you know?" I looked up at Sabrina and Mewtwo again.

"I'm sorry, Ash. Being a human instead of a psychic Pokémon, my powers are fairly limited for me to see things as far-reaching that," Sabrina apologised, before looking up. "Mewtwo?"

"She and your son have been prisoners to Julius and Apothes for a long time. I fear that, should they be put through the hardships and ordeal that your father endured, they will succumb to darkness," he said.

"F-father?" I gasped. All this time, I thought he was dead…

"Yes. Your father is alive. He has been imprisoned by Julius ever since the day your parents were separated out at sea. You can rest assured, that he is still intact, both in body and soul."

_Dad…I never knew…_

"Well, let's go then!" I declared, "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get them out of there!" Mewtwo and Sabrina exchanged worried glances, dampening my spirit. "…we can get them out…right?"

"It's not that we 'can't', Ash," Sabrina looked down, "It's just that it's…gonna take so much more effort…"

"Go on," I said.

"You must relearn the powers of Aura, if you are to survive," Mewtwo stated.

"Aura? It's been _years _since I used that! Why is it necessary? Can't I just battle with my Pokémon instead?" I cried.

"I'm afraid that that won't suffice," Mewtwo shook his head. "Julius is a master of Aura, and when combined with his powers of shadow, he may as well be more powerful than Sir Aaron himself. You will need _all _the power and help you can get, when facing him. And should your wife and child be corrupted, as it is a possibility, they _too _will possess that power, and seek to destroy you with it."

"Misty and Ethan…turn against me? That's impossible! They would never! …_would they_?" I resolutely said, before shrinking down to an unconfident whisper.

"I'm afraid that it's a possibility that we must be prepared to meet," he replied.

"Will you do it, Ash? Will you fight?" Sabrina said, coming up to me and placing her hand on my shoulder, looking at me in the eyes. After a few seconds of seeing my face reflected in her dark blue eyes, I made my decision.

"Yes…I'll do it…"

"Alright then. We'd best get started right now. We don't have long until the attack begins," Sabrina said, standing back a few paces away from me.

"A…a-a-a-a….attack?" James and Meowth's teeth chattered in unison.

"What do you mean 'we don't have long'?" I asked.

"Julius and Apothes are planning to unleash their hordes of Shadow Pokémon upon the world, as we know it. They plan to enslave all life with a single, decisive attack, which will come soon," Mewtwo said.

"_How soon?"_ I shuddered, growing more fearful by the second.

Sabrina answered, sending shivers down my spine. "…_two weeks_…"

* * *

**(At Saffron City Gym)**

"No, that won't do it, Ash! Try harder!" Sabrina shouted from the opposite end of the battle ground. I was exhausted from _hours_ of non-stop training with Sabrina; she'd unleash psychic energy towards me, and I would attempt to parry it using Aura, and vice-versa in terms of attacking and defending. But years of disuse had caused my powers to diminish significantly, and I was currently nowhere near as adept as I was, during the crisis at the Tree of Beginning. Although Sabrina and Mewtwo healed me with their psychic powers when I received wounds during training, they couldn't do anything about my fatigue.

"Sabrina…I…I can't…I'm tapped…" I gasped, falling to my knees and placing my hands on the ground.

"Ash! You can't stop now! We only have little time! Misty, Ethan and your dad's lives depend on you!" she yelled. "Come on! Let's do it again!"

"Sabrina…no…" I panted.

"The twerp's had it! That's enough!" Jessie cried out to Sabrina, who just seemed to plainly ignore her. Pikachu stood next to Meowth, looking on with worrying eyes. Team Rocket had decided to stick around: in normal conditions, I'd fear that they would try to snatch Pikachu when they had the chance. But in the most serious situations such as the conflict that was to come, even _they _didn't dare to commit heinous acts behind our backs. As awkward as it seemed having them around, they were pretty much stuck here; fairly liking it as well, as they could receive proper shelter and lodgings.

"Just one more time, then! Then we'll call it a day," Sabrina called out.

I struggled to stand up, but forced myself to do so anyway, standing at straight as I could manage…what harm could one more practice round do? "Alright, Sabs…one more time…"

Almost immediately, she fired another small ball of concentrated psychic energy, a shimmering sphere of dark-purple light surrounded by another series of energy that seemed like pink tendrils of lightning. Believing that I could stop it again, I raised my left hand, doing my best to manage another block using Aura. But it failed – the sphere continued to bound towards me, as my attempt to manage a barrier proved fruitless. The sphere crashed into my body, with enough force to knock someone unconscious.

"Pikapiii!" Pikachu cried, running over to my side.

"Ash!" Sabrina cried out, teleporting herself immediately beside me as I began to fall backwards. She caught me just as I was about to hit the ground, and laid my head upon her lap. "Are you okay?" she said, stroking my cheek. Team Rocket ran over and stood over me as well, looking genuinely concerned for my safety.

"Yeah…I'm fine, Sabs," I answered, "Just…tired, that's all."

"I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have pushed you so hard…" she began to cry.

"Don't cry, Sabrina…it's not like I'm gonna die!" I chuckled, placing my hand on her cheek before drawing it back with a jerk as I coughed into it.

"Come on, Ash, I'll take you to bed. You should lie down awhile – it's been a long day," she said, helping me up to my feet and taking my arm and putting it around her to support me.

After helping me into the bed, Sabrina brought me a bowl of warm soup, which I thankfully accepted. She sat by my side on the bed, applying a cool, wet towel on my forehead, which had a slightly high temperature.

"Thanks, Sabs," I said, putting the bowl down onto the nearby tray after I finished with it.

"Don't mention it, Ash," she smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now, thanks to you," I smiled, "Hey, by the way, where's Mewtwo gone?"

"He's in the Meditation Chamber. He told me that he's contacting Darkrai and Cresselia again, and telling them to inform Agatha of the Elite Four and her Pokémon of what's going on, through dreams."

"Well, that seems like the right thing to do. After all, we need the Elite Four's help if we're gonna stand a chance," I said, looking up towards the open window where the full moon was visible. "…and Team Rocket?"

"They're all asleep in their own room I showed them into. Oh, and by the way, I also told Brock and your mom that you were gonna stay here awhile…they both seemed happy to hear it."

"Really? What did they say?"

"They're both glad that you've…y'know… '_opened up' _to the world again, I guess. I didn't tell them what was really going on here with the Aura training, though – I just told them that you were 'training', and didn't really give specific details. I thought that now probably wasn't the best time," she explained.

"Hmm…that's probably the best thing to do, right now. Thanks, Sabrina."

"Don't mention it, Ash," she smiled, taking the tray off the bed and pulling the blanket up higher to cover me. "Well, have a good night – Mewtwo's gonna train you on the other powers of aura tomorrow, starting with telepathy and sensing other auras. I can't do anything about those, seeing as how I'm only a psychic expert."

"Alright, Sabs. Goodnight," I said, receiving a kiss from her on the cheek as she stood up to leave the room.

"Oh, and Ash?" she said, just as she came to the door.

"Yeah?"

"I won't push you so hard tomorrow as I did today…I promise."

I smiled at her, receiving a warm smile from her in response. Then as she left, Sabrina turned off the light and closed the door behind her. My thoughts drifted again to Misty and Ethan, but this time, the dreams I had were not filled with misery and doubt – it was a dream of optimism and hope, that we were a family again.

* * *

**(The next day)**

I was woken in the morning by the touch of a warm, gentle hand on my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Sabrina smiling at me while kneeling by the bed.

"Hi, Ash, how are you feeling today?" she beamed.

"I feel completely new. Thanks a lot, Sabs," I said, getting out of bed and placing my feet on the floor.

"Pikapichu!" Pikachu cried happily, leaping up to Sabrina nestling in her arms. It reminded me so much of Misty…

"Hi there, Pikachu!" Sabrina smiled, planting a small kiss on his forehead. "Oh, and Ash, I've already made some breakfast downstairs – I'll leave you to train with Mewtwo after you've finished eating. Don't rush anything, okay?" she placed her hand on my shoulder, after Pikachu leapt back onto the foot of the bed.

"Okay. I'll be right down in a sec," I said to her, before she left.

Coming downstairs and finding my way into the kitchen, I stood still, amazed – there was almost a mountain-load of food, including fried eggs, bacon, waffles, soup and warm bread. _'Brock must've let in a word for her last night,'_ I thought, grinning to myself as I walked towards the table.

After filling myself up nicely, I went back to the battle ground; surely enough finding Mewtwo waiting for me.

"Greetings, again. Are you ready to begin now?" he asked me.

"Hi, Mewtwo. Yeah, I'm ready. But before we begin, tell me…how big exactly, is this…_ 'battle' _going to be, that the Elite Four, and all the other help we can get, is needed?"

"I cannot provide you with exact figures, unfortunately…but be prepared to face numbers which will blot out the sun, moon, and stars," he said, making me gulp.

'_**That **__many?'_I thought. And as if he had read my mind, Mewtwo nodded.

"But you may find some measure of comfort at the fact, that I have also contacted each and every other Legendary Pokémon on this planet, during my meditation, and all of them have decided to join the fight against Apothes. The only Legendary Pokémon whom I haven't contacted are Arceus and his three guardians, as they are already aware of the current circumstances. And just as they did during the crisis on Shamouti Island, years ago, the Pokémon of the land will sense the imminent conflict, and arrive to aid you."

I let out a small sigh of relief – I thought I was going to be virtually alone, taking on an entire horde of Shadow Pokémon with no-one beside me but the Elite Four and my friends.

"So…how many is _that_?" I asked.

"Some thousands, I believe. But it will still be modest in number when compared to the enemy, and will not be enough to achieve victory over the Shadow Pokémon through battle alone, given their advantage in sheer power. To defeat this threat, you must find the source of their corruption, and end it, once and for all," he said.

"So I'm guessing that I have to defeat this… 'Julius', am I right?" I looked up at him, receiving a nod. "What'll happen after that?"

"With all hope, I believe that the Shadow Pokémon may be returned to their rightful selves. Those who have outlived their natural lifespans will also be able to find peace."

"Alright, then. I'm ready now, Mewtwo – let's begin," I said energetically. Glancing sideways, I saw Team Rocket entering through the door and sitting down quietly to watch. "Don't you guys have other stuff to do?" I asked them.

"…not really," James and Meowth said in unison. Jessie just sat quietly, watching. She seemed to be constantly leaning to her left, until when her head came into contact with James, she blushed and immediately set herself up straight again. They didn't seem to have gotten much sleep last night.

"Very well," Mewtwo said, before his eyes started to glow blue. "Now, I shall reacquaint you with telepathy, and the ability to sense others' Auras, using your own."

I looked solemnly at his eyes, preparing myself for what was to come. No matter how long it took, or how excruciating it was going to be, I was determined to do all that I could, to one day have her back in my arms.

* * *

**(Two weeks later)**

**(Pallet Town)**

With my training with Mewtwo and Sabrina concluded, my powers of Aura were now stronger than ever before, and I felt as if I was prepared for anything. The skies overhead looked darker than ever, unseasonably so (and, it was only mid-afternoon), with dark-red lights looming on the far horizon, towards the southern oceans of Kanto. After touching down in front of Professor Oak's Lab after flying with the help of Mewtwo's psychic power, Sabrina, Mewtwo and I walked in. Meanwhile, Jessie, James and Meowth stood outside together, panting nervously: they had never experienced anything like the flight we just had, and James looked as if he was about to throw up, leaning his weight on Meowth who frantically waved his arms about.

As we entered the lab, we were greeted by Professor Oak, Gary, Tracey, and also Brock, who had been told by Sabrina that we'd be coming today. All four of them had surprised, and even slightly fearful looks on their faces as they saw Mewtwo looking back at them. Then, Professor Oak came forward to greet us.

"Hello again, Ash. Have you been well for the past few weeks?" he said to me.

"Hi, Professor. I've been alright, I guess…but I've been better, I can tell you that," I joked, slightly smiling.

"Hi, Professor Oak," Sabrina said, "Did you hear from the Elite Four and the Pokémon HQ yet?"

"Yes, indeed I have," he replied. "The situation is most grave, indeed – the Pokémon HQ has decided to put all Pokémon battles, as well as all other activities involving Pokémon, on temporary hiatus, and ordered all civilians to remain indoors. It seems to be the best measure to protect the general populace at this point in time, although…I fear it may not be enough…"

"Is there anything else we need to know?" I asked.

"The Kanto HQ has also requested _all _trainers who have collected all the badges from at least one region, to gather at the Indigo Plateau for a public committee," Tracey said.

"They've also requested trainers from the Johto region to come. Similar events have been happening within the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, as well. All the Gym Leaders are in it, too…This seems much more serious than we thought," Gary said.

_Yeah, Gary…of __**course **__this is serious, considering the fact that it could mean the continuation, or the end of the world, after all…_

"Calling trainers up to gather for this fight? That seems more like _conscription_, rather than a request," I remarked.

"These are desperate and dark times, Ash. They, and we, have little choice," Professor Oak shook his head.

"Even with all the help we have, I fear that it'll _still _be not enough," Mewtwo spoke sullenly.

Sabrina, meanwhile, looked sadly towards Brock, who remained silent through everything. "Why are you so quiet, Brock?" she asked.

"Huh? Me?" his eyes flickered. "N-nothing…it's just that…I'm worried about what's to come."

"That is understandable. This conflict will be greater than any you have experienced, and the possible consequences of it more dire than any other," Mewtwo said. "All life…all of _existence_ depends on this battle, and you must _all _be prepared to face it."

I looked down, countless thoughts racing through my head, making the act of concentrating more and more difficult and excruciating. Then, finally, having enough, I clenched my fist and spoke to all of them. "Let's go. _Now_, to the Indigo Plateau."

They all stood looking at me with fairly surprised looks on their faces due to my sudden decision, save for Mewtwo, who looked as composed as ever. Then, one by one, their expression turned to determined looks as they nodded.

"We're all right behind you, Ash," Brock said, clasping hands with me.

"Alright. Now, it's just a matter of which Pokémon I'll take with me," I said, turning to go outdoors again. "Where are they now, Professor Oak?"

"Choosing is not necessary, Ash," Sabrina said, stopping me right in my tracks.

"What do you mean, Sabs?" I asked.

"Take _all _of them. We'll need every bit of strength we have," she replied.

"But…the Pokémon League rules state that…" I stammered.

"Ash, the fate of the world is at stake…do you really think that they'd stick to their rules and regulations at such a time?" she flatly said, bringing me to my senses as I nodded.

"I've brought all of _my _Pokémon as well, except for Ludicolo and Chansey, who I've left at home to take care of my siblings," Brock said. "…they must all be very scared, right now, with all these unnatural clouds rolling in…"

"All of mine are out at the back, along with all of yours, Ash," Gary said. "We're all set to go…but how are we gonna carry all of them in Pokéballs? That's gonna be impossible!"

"Leave that to me," Mewtwo said to him.

"Huh? How's that?" Gary turned to Mewtwo.

"I will bring them all along with us, wherever we need to go."

"He's right – he can carry basically an entire _army _with him if he wanted to, y'know," I smirked.

"Okay, that's settled, then," Gary smiled, pinching the back of his shirt. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go already!"

"Umm, I'm not too sure…" Tracey murmured, looking down. "You see, I'm not exactly one for battle, given my…inexperience…Ash, why don't you take my Scyther, Venomoth and Azumarill with you? Scyther is very old now: I think that his time is coming soon, and that he'd want one final battle…so how about it?"

"Tracey, man, you can manage in this battle. _Trust me_. I mean, after so many practice sessions with me, you must be rather skilled by now, right?" Gary smirked.

"Oh…alright, then…I'm still nervous about this, though…" Tracey whimpered.

"Aww, it'll be _fine,_ Trace…you can stick with me and Ash!" Gary laughed, before looking at me. "…Ash? Everything fine over there?"

I stood silent and still, thinking of all my other friends who may be in danger because of the coming battle. May…Max…Dawn…Bianca and Lorenzo…Ritchie…Anabel…yet, I found comfort at the fact that Paul is one of the most powerful trainers I have ever known, and would protect Dawn with his life. Max was also a very skilled trainer in his own right now, and May would be protected by Drew, as well.

"Umm…yeah, I'm fine," I replied. "But before we go…could I maybe…go talk to my mom?"

"Of course, Ash. That would be the most decent thing to do, to go talk to your mother before you set out," Professor Oak nodded.

"I will have all of your Pokémon ready to embark, once you return," Mewtwo assured me. "Meanwhile, I shall call upon my clone Pokémon, who are currently residing within Mount Quena."

I nodded, before leaving the Lab. "I'll be right back."

* * *

After arriving back home by myself, I lifted my hand up to knock on the door, before hesitating briefly. Once I had summoned up the courage to do so, I knocked, and Mom came out shortly after, her eyes beginning to water as soon as she saw me.

"Ash, my darling!" she cried, embracing me tightly and crying onto my shoulder as I returned her hug.

"I've missed you, mom…I'm so sorry that I didn't contact you for so long…"

"It's alright, honey…It's alright," she sobbed. "Are you…are you leaving soon, with the others?"

"Yeah. I came by to say goodbye to you, before I left," I said. "But I dunno if I'll…be coming back…"

"Don't say such things, honey! Of course you'll be back!" she whispered, holding my cheeks with her hands.

"I'm going there. I'm going there to get Misty and Ethan back. And…" I paused briefly. "…to get Dad back, as well…"

"You mean…your father is alive?" Mom gasped.

"Yes. I was told by Mewtwo that he's alive, and he's being held a prisoner in a place where I have to go now," I explained. Mom stepped back slightly, before looking upwards, closing her eyes and holding her hand over her heart, as teardrops fell onto the floor.

"Chris…it's been so long…" she whispered, looking up to the heavens.

"I'll get them back, mom. Don't worry. I'll end all this, once and for all," I declared, taking her hand in mine.

"Alright, honey," she said, looking at me again with courageous eyes. "Go for it – I believe in you."

"Mm," I nodded, before hugging her for what might be the final time and kissing her on the cheek, before leaving to go back to Professor Oak's Lab, where the others were waiting for me. And upon my return, we all immediately took off, Gary flying with his Fearow, while Brock and a terrified Tracey mounted my Pidgeot and Garchomp respectively, while I rode on Charizard's back. Professor Oak rode on the back of another Charizard which seemed strangely familiar, while his Dragonite followed behind. The rest of our non-flying Pokémon were carried with us by Mewtwo's power, Bulbasaur and Squirtle clutching onto each other nervously, while James and Meowth held a hand against each others' faces, out of fear that they would throw up on one another. And at the head of the party was Mewtwo, his eyes looking as solemn as ever, but with a touch of sadness as he knew of the destruction that was to come.

He had truly learnt to appreciate all life.

* * *

**(Back at Pallet Town)**

**(3****rd****-person narrative)**

Nervous and shaking, Delia Ketchum entered Professor Oak's Lab, switching on the lights to illuminate the pitch-dark room. She walked towards a door at the far end of the hallway, the heels of her shoes producing echo after echo as she walked. At last, she came to the final door, exhaling deeply once before opening it and entering. Inside was the Pokéball Storage Room, containing the Pokémon of every single Pokémon trainer who was born in Pallet Town.

Her hands trembled as she reached for a black cloth which hung over six Pokéballs, before flinging it away firmly after grasping it. She collected them all, picking each one up individually and looking at them before coming to the final one, upon which she released the Pokémon inside. Out came a Ninetales with fur that shined a radiant yellow, letting out a soft cry as it smiled, looking up at Delia.

Delia smiled, walked over to the Pokémon and caressed its face, making it smile broader and rub its face against her hand in pleasure. Delia then rubbed her face softly against that of the Ninetales, stroking the back of her dear friend before whispering into its ear, calling it by the nickname she gave it, long ago.

"Lyra, it's time…come with me."

**(End of Chapter 12)**

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** Chapter 13 will be up in a few days. I thought that, after seeing on Bulbapedia, that Pokémon of lesser power compared to Mewtwo, such as Medicham and Lucario can use Aura, Mewtwo would most definitely be able to as well, despite us never seeing him use it in the movies he appears in. I didn't go into too much depth about the scenes which involve the use of Aura, as I haven't yet watched Pokémon Movie 8: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. I might later on, as I might need to get a better grasp of what it looks like to use Aura, in the later chapters which involve battle.

Tracey's Venonat and Marill have evolved in my story, as I think that enough time has passed for them to do so. Same goes for Ash's Gible evolving into Garchomp (sorry about the former mistake of Gible - Salamence...I was writing most of this past midnight last night, and it kinda left my head... :S). I also saw that Gary has a Fearow, after looking at his page on Bulbapedia and scrolling down to the picture which shows his 'Unseen Silver Conference Pokémon', where a Fearow is shown.

Yup, Delia is a trainer…or an ex-trainer, more like, in my story. More details on that will come in the next chapter, and it will provide a background view of the events of my prequel story involving her and Chris.

Please leave your reviews. :)


	14. Eye of the Storm

**Chapter 13**

**Eye of the Storm**

**(Ash's POV)**

After arriving at the Indigo Plateau, Sabrina, Brock, Tracey, Gary, Professor Oak and I walked through the sliding doors of the Pokémon HQ, to be met with the sight of a ruckus going on inside. We all agreed that Jessie, James and Meowth were better off not entering the building, and so they decided to stick with our Pokémon. As uncomfortable as the idea was, the fact that they were surrounded by our Pokémon, and with none of their usual equipment, Team Rocket were in no position to do anything, bringing me a sense of comfort. Inside, more than a hundred Pokémon trainers were packed in the same foyer, all shouting and ranting amongst themselves. The two groups of Elite Four and all the other Gym Leaders of Kanto (excluding the Cerulean Gym) and Johto were standing in front of them, Lance, Prima and Bruno were desperately trying to control and speak to the crowd, but their voices could not be heard over them. Agatha was sitting down in a chair, her back hunched forward as she leaned her forehead upon her hand, in obvious frustration.

Looking behind me, I nodded at Mewtwo, whom I could not see with my eyes, but could sense he was there, through Aura: several trainers were following quite a distance behind us, and it would have been unwise for him to have been seen. Mewtwo nodded back, before psychically communicating to Gary's Alakazam, who acknowledged his order and started to shepherd our Pokémon and Team Rocket, who now couldn't see Mewtwo, to another area; Charizard, Sceptile and Infernape having discontent looks on their faces, due to them being given orders by another other than myself.

"Look at the crowd!" Brock gasped. Amongst their many voices, I could pick out some of them; mainly those who doubted the validity of this situation, even going as far as to call the Elite Four a bunch of fools for calling all of them out, simply because of a mere oncoming thunderstorm.

"We have to talk to the Elite Four in person. Come on, we have no time to waste," Sabrina said.

"Sabs, I really don't think…"

"That it's gonna work?" Sabrina read my mind, finishing off my sentence. "Don't worry, Ash – everyone in here knows who you are. They'll surely quieten down, once they see you."

"You're right, Sabs. Let's go," I nodded. After I laboriously made my way to the front of the crowd and made eye contact with the Elite Four, the noise level died down quickly to a murmur, before coming to a complete silence.

"Ash! We've been waiting for you!" Lance said, motioning me to come over to them. "Come in. Professor Oak, Brock and Sabrina, please join us, as well. And for all of you waiting out here," he turned back towards the crowd, "please have a little more patience."

* * *

After Pikachu leapt up and perched himself on top of my head, the four of us entered with the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders, as Lance closed the door behind us. Taking our seats at a table, we began to discuss our course of action, Pikachu jumping from my head and sitting on my lap.

"As much as I'd like to begin with the proper formalities, unfortunately, now is not the time," Lance said promptly. "Now, as you all know, the unnatural clouds have been looming over most of Kanto for quite some time, now. It can only mean the attack will come very soon."

"Gengar and I has been in touch with Mewtwo through the dreams given to us by Darkrai and Cresselia," Agatha said, "We all knew that this day has been coming for quite some time now, but I'm afraid that too little has been done to take proper remedial action…"

"It is _not _too late," Mewtwo's voice rang out within the room, as he shimmered into view before us. "The Pokémon of the land have already taken their positions, and are prepared to meet the full force of the Shadow Pokémon. The Legendary Pokémon of each respective region have also taken their places. We are all that is left, who need to act."

"You mean…the shadow Pokémon are also going to attack Hoenn and Sinnoh?" I gasped.

"No. They are not…_yet_," Mewtwo shook his head. "They will begin here, in Kanto, spreading like a plague until they have corrupted all sentient life in this region. Afterwards, they will proceed to the other regions you mentioned. That is why this battle takes precedence over all other – we must stop them _here_, before they have a chance to expand."

"But how? How can Pokémon like Groudon come all the way here?" Brock questioned.

"They will find that solution themselves. Kyogre will also ensure that his counterpart makes the journey. Although they are known to be fierce rivals, attempting to expand the seas and land over one another, even they must adhere to the will of Arceus, their master."

"Also keep in mind, that Pyramid King Brandon will be joining us at what will be the battlefield, once we get there," Lance announced. "His three regis have also come with him, and with them, Regigigas. The other members of the Frontier Brains will also position themselves in various points throughout Kanto, to ensure that no Shadow Pokémon slip through and threaten the populace."

"That's settled, then," Prima glanced at him. "Is there anything else that we must know?"

"Several water and flying Pokémon from other regions have also managed to make the long and arduous journey of arriving to the shores of Kanto; the larger water Pokémon carrying in others on their backs. They will also be aiding us in this fight. But the enemy still outnumbers us greatly, nonetheless," Mewtwo said.

"A scarce amount of reinforcements is better than none at all. Then what's our course of act-?" Lt. Surge nodded, addressing us all before he was cut off by the sound of light snoring.

"Erika! Wake up! This is _not _the time!" Sabrina cried, shaking her fellow Gym Leader awake.

"Huh? What? Oh…I'm sorry, everyone…" Erika apologised holding her face with one hand in embarrassment.

"This is a matter of _highest_ importance. _Please _pay attention, Erika," said Pryce.

"Al…alright…I'm sorry, again…" Erika whimpered. Sabrina took another glance sideways at her, before looking back across the table to Lance. I could've sworn Sabrina eyes flashed blue for a split second…

"Our course of action, as you have asked, Lt. Surge," Lance explained, "Is that we create a diversion with our main forces, taking on their entire army and keeping them at bay for as long as we can, while Ash and a small party infiltrate the lair of the enemy. From the information that Mewtwo has given us, the supposed lair and the source of this crisis, should be located somewhere beneath the ocean, on the southern coast…"

"But how do we know that Ash can get there? We don't even know where that place is!" Jasmine cried.

"My _dear_ Jasmine… the fact is, it is not that difficult or complicated at all!" Will smirked in a snide manner, wiggling his finger at Jasmine who shot a glare at him before continuing. "If Ash here has indeed been faced by those Shadow Gyarados and Tentacruel like it has been told to us, then _surely _he has a way of finding them again – and finding their lair in the process?"

"He's right," I said, "I…I think I know how to get there. I just need to get out onto the southern ocean again. I'm sure I can lure them out, that way. Knowing that Misty is alive, they've definitely got her captive somewhere. They'll most likely drag me down to where she's at."

Will sat back in his chair, a content smile on his face and his eyes comfortably shut as he clapped three times, a break of one second in between each one. Then, his eyes jolted open as he peered at Sabrina, who gave him an un-approving look: psychics needed only a glance and a thought to communicate with each other.

"That settles it. All that's left now is where we'll position ourselves. I suggest that we situate ourselves on this ridge, and-" Lt. Surge declared, leaning forward onto the table and raising his voice, to make his presence clear, before drawing back as Bruno cracked his knuckles, looking menacingly at him before looking over to Lance again.

"The situation is too serious for us all to stay in one area: doing so will only attract mass concentrated fire," Lance stated. "We need a plan…"

"Why don't we split up, according to our Pokémon types?" Gordon Lambert, the Gym Leader of Viridian City said. "We can cover more ground, that way."

Lance nodded. "Good idea. But first, who will be accompanying Ash?"

"I'm with him," Brock declared.

"Me as well," Sabrina said, looking at Brock who returned her glance.

"I'll go, too!" Lt. Surge boomed. "I want some close-up action in a confined area, not some blitz battle with disorder everywhere, and-"

"No," Lance flatly said.

"But I-"

"No," Prima reiterated.

"…I never get to have any fun…" Lt. Surge groaned quietly, folding his arms.

"What about you, Professor Oak?" I asked him, after a moment of awkward silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ash," but I'm afraid that I'm too old for close-quarter battles anymore. I'm better off with the others, outside. But rest assured, I have the utmost faith in you and Gary's abilities, as well as yours, Sabrina and Brock!"

"So Gary will also be joining us, as well…" Sabrina said. "And also along with a few other…_friends_…"

"Friends? Who?" Clair asked.

"Oh…let's just say that…you've run into them a couple of times, before," Sabrina grinned. Clair remained silent, not wanting any further clarification, instead staring at Sabrina oddly.

"That brings us back to our decision of where we will position ourselves," Lance said, bringing about the attention of everyone. "Claire, Falkner and I will take to the skies, travelling from place to place to aid our allies as necessary. Meanwhile, Brandon, Bruno, Chuck, Blaine, Lt. Surge, Karen and Gordon will lead our frontier forces on land. And Jasmine…"

"Yes?" she looked at him.

"I'm very sorry about this, but…I also need you to be on the front lines, holding off the enemy with your Steelix. I know that you're young and not used to battles such as this one which is to come, but I _must _ask it of you."

Jasmine pondered awhile with a worry in her eyes, before replying brightly with a smile. "Don't worry, Lance, I won't let you down."

"Don't you break a sweat, Lance! My Magmortar will burn them to a _crisp _before they even get near!" Blaine laughed.

Lance smiled at them, before moving on with his address. "Thank you, both of you. Now, Koga, Erika, Bugsy and Whitney will be positioned right behind our frontier forces. I ask that you do not immerse yourself in the fighting: you aim is to harass the enemy and slow their advance."

"I will see to it that every last one of them is poisoned, beyond salvation…" Koga said coldly, frightening Erika who winced in fear.

Lance went on. "Meanwhile, Agatha, Will and Morty will be close to the rear of our land forces. We need you to keep a close watch on the proceedings of the battle, and to maintain communication at all times between us."

"It shall be my _pleasure_," Will said, making a bowing gesture with his hand. Sabrina did nothing but roll her eyes, while Agatha let out a deep sigh and Morty coughed to the side.

"Don't get _cocky_, child," Agatha scolded him, immediately putting Will back into place.

"Meanwhile, the water Pokémon will be lead by Pryce and…" Lance started again, his voice confident at first before dying down to a whisper as he struggled to say the name of his wife, who was seated beside him. He gently placed his hand on hers, touching the wedding ring on her finger. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'll be _fine_, Lance," Prima smiled, squeezing his hand. "And besides, we've got Kyogre with us, don't we?"

"Y…yes," Lance regained his confidence. "So it's settled, then…"

"I'll make sure to look out for her in the open, Lance," Pryce said. "Don't worry."

"Thank you, Pryce..."

"I will also roam the battlefield in the skies, along with Mew, Lugia, Ho-oh, Rayquaza, the Celebi, the Legendary Birds, and Latias. We will assist wherever necessary," Mewtwo said.

_Latias…_

"And what of Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus?" Sabrina asked him. "When will _they _arrive?"

"Of that, I cannot answer…" Mewtwo sighed. "We will have to hold the Shadow Pokémon at bay, until Ash defeats their master. I believe that Apothes will reveal himself to finish what he began, and that Arceus and his guardians will promptly follow."

"Very well. I believe we have discussed all that we must. Let's go now – the crowd must be growing impatient," Lance said, getting out of his chair, followed by the rest of us as he left the room.

* * *

"Why were you so silent through all of that, Brock?" I asked him as we walked out.

"Erm…to be honest with you, the lower-tier Gym Leaders like me, Bugsy and Whitney don't really have a large role in such discussions, Ash, so it's better off if we just sit back and listen," he said.

"Come on, Brock, you're so much more powerful now than when we first started off together, many years ago. Surely you'd be important enough that you can have a fair amount of say in the matter?"

"Hmm…maybe, Ash…I dunno," he shrugged.

"By the way, Sabrina…what did you do with Erika? I swear that your eyes flashed up right after Erika apologised for falling asleep," I turned to her.

"Oh, _that_…don't worry about it, Ash, I just gave her a brief, momentary state of insomnia, that's all. It's probably helped her to concentrate and pay more attention," she replied.

"Okay, then," I chuckled, "But to think about it, you're probably better off giving her insomnia for the _entire day_, given the enormous day- um, I mean, _night _we have ahead of us," I said.

Sabrina stopped, looking upwards briefly before speaking again. "Good idea, Ash – Erika can _never _stay awake for long, consecutive periods. _Trust me,_ I've known her for a long time."

And with that, Sabrina walked back, looking around to find Erika.

"Sabrina, wait! I don't think that's…wise…" I held my hand up, before faltering down to a murmur.

"You can _never _stop her once she's put her mind to something, Ash," Brock chuckled, "…trust me on that."

"Well, she's _your _girlfriend, after all," I grinned. "By the way…when are you thinking about asking for her…you know?"

"Erm, I, err…haven't decided, yet," Brock replied flustered, rubbing the back of his head frantically in a nervous gesture. "I mean, we have to get through _this _first, right?"

I nodded. "Right…"

"What _took you so long, Ashy-boy?"_ Gary grumbled in frustration.

"Oh, we're sorry, Gary, but the task at hand seems to be much more complicated than we first thought," Professor Oak said. "Oh, but I should mention before anything, that you'll be joining Ash, Brock, Sabrina and Tracey in infiltrating the heart of the enemy."

"Huh? Me? With _this _loser?" Gary sneered, nudging me hard on the side, causing me to grunt softly. "And what do you mean by 'heart of the enemy', gramps?"

"Their lair is pretty much underwater, Gary. It's where they're holding Misty at the moment," I explained to him.

"Huh? Underwater? What did they do…make her fully amphibious or something?" Gary joked. I shot him a glare, ticked off at him for making such a joke about my wife whom I haven't seen for a full two years, and was constantly worried about.

"Now, now, Gary, that's enough," Professor Oak waved his hand about to signal him to stop, before Agatha suddenly appeared from behind us.

"Quite a rebellious grandson you have there, Samuel," she commented.

"Agatha, I'm afraid you've caught us at a bad time," Professor Oak replied.

"Bad? It is most _terrible,_ indeed! Here you are, bickering amongst yourselves, while the battle is drawing near!" she scoffed.

"_Hey, old lady!_ I _know _that the battle is coming, so why don't you take a hike? I've _got this_!" Gary shouted.

"Gary! Don't shout at her like that!" Professor Oak scolded him.

"Hmph. It's obvious whose personality you've inherited, Gary," Agatha smirked at him.

"Wha…what are you talking about?" Gary murmured, the shock evident in his eyes.

"_Fool_... Can't you recognise your own _grandmother_, when you see her?" Agatha gruffly said.

"G…grandma? How?" Gary gasped.

"It's true, Gary. Your grandmother and I married long ago, but split up soon after the birth of your father, as she detested the fact that I devoted myself to Pokémon research and studies, instead of continuing the trainer's life," Professor Oak told him.

"Detestable _indeed_…I don't know how you could've ever even _contemplated_ such a life of dull inactivity. The life of a _hermit_!" Agatha hissed.

"I chose _my _path in life, Agatha, and you've chosen _yours_... Let's leave it at that."

"Very well, then. Now, I must leave," Agatha said, giving Professor Oak a final look of mixed emotions, before walking away.

"Now, then," Professor Oak said to me, "Shall we get going?"

"Alright, Professor, let's go," I said as we all started to walk together, after Sabrina came running back to rejoin us. But then, a hand came down on my shoulder, prompting me to turn around to see who it was.

"…Paul?" I said, "What are _you _doing here?"

"Dawn was taking part in some Pokémon contests in Johto, and I heard about what was happening, so I came," he replied with a small smile. "She sends you her regards. I'll be joining you, Ash."

Paul and Dawn were now engaged for about three months, after Paul had finally decided to propose to her while they were sharing an evening together.

"Well, that _certainly _makes me feel more at ease," I smiled, "It's good to have you aboard, Paul. And besides, I honestly don't think I can trust _Gary _to watch my back!"

"Watch that mouth, Ashy-boy…" Gary groaned under gritted teeth. "And who _is _this guy, anyway?"

"This is Paul, my old rival from the Sinnoh Region and League," I introduced him.

"Would you happen to be…Gary Oak?" Paul tilted his head.

"Yeah! Sure is! The greatest, and the one and only!" Gary gave an arrogant smirk.

"_Oh_…the same Gary Oak, whose Golem was knocked out with a single Dragon Rage attack from Ash's Charizard, years ago?" Paul grinned, causing Gary to force shut his eyes, stress lines seeming to appear beside his eye.

"Don't…push it…" Gary grunted, twitching as he put on a fake smile.

"Guys, come on. We should really get going," I insisted, as we all moved towards the exit.

"But Ash, how are we all gonna go to that point on the southern ocean, without getting separated? The current's getting fiercer, with all these storms," Brock commented.

"That's a good point, Brock…to be honest, I have no idea. Maybe we can get our water Pokémon to keep us together?" I suggested.

"There's also the matter of which Pokémon we'll take, and which ones we will leave, to join the larger battle," Sabrina said. "You have to choose _now_, Ash."

"Hmm…good point…" I said, holding my chin as we exited. We went over towards the side of the building, where the rest of our Pokémon were staying, with Team Rocket.

* * *

"What _took_ you so long?" James yawned. "We were so bored out here, you know! Not to mention slightly intimidated, with all your Pokémon eyeing us!"

"Sorry about that. We were caught up in a meeting with the Gym Leaders and Elite Four of both the Kanto and Johto regions," I told them.

"Well, it's no biggie, I suppose," Jessie said, putting her hands on her hips. "After all, it was only about half an hour."

"Oh, by da way, twerp, I believe dat you are in need of some...sea transport?" Meowth grinned.

"Huh? You mean…you have a plan?" I asked.

"Yup! A submersible, _big_ enough for all of us to it into!" he cried proudly, reaching his arms up into the air as he uttered the word 'big'.

"Well, at least we'll all be able to stick together, without the risk of separation," Brock sighed. "But how did you guys manage something like _that_? I mean, most of the 'submersibles' we've seen you guys in have been like that Gyarados pedal-craft, that only the three of you can fit into!"

"Dis one's straight from da Team Rocket HQ! You can count on it! Ultra-durable steel!" Meowth smiled.

"Alright, then…now, back to our Pokémon?" Gary said.

"Right. Besides Pikachu, I think I'll take with me…" I wondered, looking at all my Pokémon. "Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Sceptile, Torterra, Infernape, Glalie, one of my Tauros, Donphan, and Heracross." The Pokémon whose names were called bounded over happily. "I'd really like to take some of my flyers, but they should stick by Mewtwo and Lance…Pidgeot, I need you to lead your old flock, alongside Fearow."

"~geot~!" he cooed in acknowledgement.

"Bulbasaur and Squirtle? You're taking _them_? They've hardly even evolved! They won't last five _minutes _down there!" Gary looked at me oddly, while Bulbasaur and Squirtle shot angry glares at him.

"Just because they haven't evolved, that doesn't mean that they're _weak_, Gary. The two of them are among my most experienced battlers, y'know," I said, Bulbasaur and Squirtle smiling at me.

"Charizard, old buddy, I'm sorry about this, but I need you to stick close to Lance and Professor Oak. Make sure that nothing happens to them, ok? Garchomp, you too."

"Char…" he sighed in disappointment.

"Gar!" Garchomp cried out in a lively manner, bringing about a nudge from Charizard's elbow.

"Staraptor, Noctowl and Swellow, you should join Pidgeot's flock, and make sure to keep the flying Shadow Pokémon from attacking Prima, Pryce, and the other water Pokémon who are alongside them. And Swellow, if you happen to see any of your old flock, get them to join in with Pidgeot's group, ok?"

The three of them nodded, before looking over to Pidgeot and nodding to him as well.

"The rest of you, follow what Lance, Prima, Agatha and Brandon tell you. And…keep safe…" I said, as they all bid me farewell. "Your turn, Gary."

"Okay. Let's see now…Blastoise, of course, is coming with me. I'll also bring along Umbreon, Electivire, Arcanine, Nidoking and queen, Alakazam and Scizor with me. The rest will stick with gramps', Lance's, Prima's, and your Pokémon, Ash," he said. "And Fearow, show that _wild _Fearow who's boss!"

"~row!" it cawed.

"A very good choice with Alakazam, Gary. I can communicate psychically with your Alakazam, as can mine, during the battle," Sabrina said.

"Hey! I intend to keep tight control over all of _my own _Pokémon during the battle! Don't interfere!" he snapped.

Brock held Sabrina's hand, after she looked to be visibly ticked off at Gary's remark, but she remained calm. "Alright, Gary…your choice," she said.

"Well, for Tracey and me, it's a no-brainer," Brock said. "We've brought all of our respective Pokémon, except for my Ludicolo and Chansey, who are at home tending to my siblings."

"Alakazam, Haunter, as well as the Hypno and Venomoth I keep at home, are with me now," Sabrina said.

"Well, we can at least be glad we have _some _air support now, I guess," I sighed.

"Arbok, Seviper and Yanmega are with me," Jessie said. "And as much as I curse myself for doing so…I've also brought Wobbuffet…"

"Wo~~~bbufet!" it cried, randomly bursting out of its Pokéball, only to be met by an angry knuckle to the forehead from Jessie, before being recalled.

"And I've got Weezing, Cacnea and Carnivine," James added, before drooping his arms and head and moaning. "…though I _really _wish my dear Growlie could be with me right now…"

"And Meowth has got…" Meowth pointed triumphantly into the air, before realizing the harsh truth: he had nothing.

"No, Meowth, you're just _you, _by yourself…" James sighed, bringing his friend back to reality with a pull on the cheek. Meowth sulked sadly, letting out a deep sigh down to the ground.

"So it's come down to _me_, then," Paul looked down. "I've brought with me my Torterra, Electivire, Ursaring, Hariyama, Aggron, Gastrodon, Drapion, Magmortar, Honchkrow and Gliscor."

"That's very good, Paul. We could _really_ use your firepower," Brock smiled.

"Who needs _more_ firepower when you've got my Blastoise, huh?" Gary sneered.

"Umm, technically, Gary, since Blastoise is a _water_ type…" Tracey remarked.

"It's purely about the concept of _power_ alone_, _Tracey! Geez!" Gary cried, slapping his forehead.

We started laughing, before a bright, pinkish-purple light emanated from the dark sky above. Our pokemon immediately prepared to open fire, but I held up my arm to signal them to stop. I recognized the light…

As it moved down from the sky towards the earth, the light faded continuously, until the figure of a red and white Pokémon appeared before us, touching down gracefully onto the ground, looking at me with innocent eyes.

"Latias…is that you?" I gasped, walking towards her. She answered with a faint cry, before changing into her human form, and the likeness of Bianca. After a moment's silence of standing apart from each other, Latias suddenly ran up to me and hugged me tightly. "Latias, what are you doing he-" I said, before being cut off as she kissed me deeply and passionately.

"…" her brown eyes gazed into mine, as if she was looking into my very soul.

Taken aback by her actions, it took me a while before I summoned up the courage to speak to her. "Latias, I'm sorry…I know you love me, and to be honest, I kind of love you as well…" I apologized. "…but I'm married now to Misty, whom I love most dearly and would give my own _life_ for. The two of us just cannot ever be…"

Latias looked down and nodded twice, tears dripping down her eyes before she managed to put on a smile, as we drew apart from each other.

"…well, then…" Professor Oak started, as they all tried to ignore or forget what had just happened. "I think you and Gary should come with me back inside, Ash, to get the proper Pokéballs for your Pokémon. Who knows? Something bad may happen down there, and you may need to urgently recall them."

"That's a good idea, Professor," I nodded. "Let's go, Gary."

"Right behind ya'" he said.

* * *

In a short time, we got our Pokéballs from the lab using the transfer machine conjoined with the Video Phone, at a corner of the main reception room. But just as I turned and was prepared to leave, I saw a familiar person from the corner of my eye, working at the counter. I walked up to her to speak with her.

"…Claire? Is that you?" I said.

"A-Ash?" she looked up, shocked to see me. Claire was the Nurse Joy whom I came to know during my time in the Indigo Plateau, after I had finally achieved the rank of Champion. It was due to her efforts, that Pikachu's life was saved after the colossal battle with Lance's Dragonite. "It's been…two years!"

"Y-yeah…how have you been?"

Her surprised expression faded, to be replaced by her warm smile. "Quite good. Not much has changed around here, after you left," she said, before looking at me sadly. "Ash, I'm…very sorry about Misty…"

"It's alright, Claire. Misty's alive, after all. And after today, we'll be together again. I know it," I smiled to reassure her.

She smiled once more. "Okay…well, take care of yourself out there, Ash. I wish you all the best!"

"Thanks, Claire," I said to her. "I hope I'll see you again, someday."

"The same to you, Ash. Goodbye."

I turned and walked away with Gary and Professor Oak. However, a sound continued to bother me as I continued on my way: it was Gary's sniggering.

"What's so _funny_, Gary?" I demanded.

"Since when did you hook up with a Nurse Joy," Ashy-boy?" he laughed.

"Gary, I didn't 'hook up' with her…I just happened to meet her as she came out of the emergency room and told me that Pikachu was okay, after my battle with Lance. That's it," I grumbled at him.

" 'That's it'? It seems to me that there was way more that happened between you two! What, did the two of you have a one-night stand or something?"

"…don't…push it…Gary…" I ground my teeth. _Such a typical Gary thing to say…_

"Ash!" a voice called out as I exited the building.

"Huh? Mom? What are _you _doing here? How did you _get _here, anyway?" I asked, confused.

"She came just a while after you went in with Gary and Professor Oak," Brock said. "She came in flying on an Altaria!"

"Delia, what are you doing here? Things are about to get _very _dangerous!" Professor Oak cried.

"I'm sorry, Professor Oak, but I just _had _to come," Mom said, "The moment that Ash told me that Chris was alive, I just…I had to come…"

"Mom, where did you get the Pokémon? You didn't take some from the lab, did you?" I asked.

Professor Oak shook his head. "The Pokémon belongs to your mother, Ash."

"Huh? But…but how? I thought you just simply travelled around with Dad during your journeys?" I turned my head to her.

"That's what I told you, honey, but I'm afraid that there's much more to it than that…" she replied, looking down. "You see, I was also a trainer, before I met your father. My very first Pokémon was a young Vulpix whom I never actually caught with a Pokéball, but by chance, I met her when I saw her lying in the woods with an injured leg. I tender her wounds, and she took a great liking to me, following me everywhere I went. After I met your father and decided to join him on his travels, the Nurse Joy from Viridian City offered me a choice between the three starter Pokémon of Kanto, which would be transferred over from Professor Oak's lab. But I didn't want one, as I loved my Vulpix so dearly. So my starting Pokémon ended up being my Vulpix, which I then nicknamed Lyra, after I had officially caught her with a Pokéball offered by the Nurse Joy. I travelled alongside your father and…_another _companion, catching some more Pokémon along the way," she said, reaching down to reveal a Pokébelt, and releasing her Pokémon; a Ninetales, no doubt the evolved form of her starting Vulpix, along with a Milotic, Altaria, Leafeon and Gardevoir. "I've also got a Dewgong, but of course, I can't release it right now, seeing as we're standing on land," she smiled.

"Mom…are you sure that you're gonna be alright? It's probably been _years _since your last proper battle…" I said to her, holding her by the arms and looking at her face.

"I'll be fine, honey. I'll stay close to Professor Oak and the others…just go and save Misty," she insisted, putting on a brave smile.

"I love you, mom…please be safe…" I whispered as we hugged each other. After we finished, we smiled at each other, before setting off. Latias then changed back into her Pokémon form, crying out something which I didn't understand. I looked at Sabrina for the answer.

"She wants you to hop on. She'll take you where we need to go," she said.

"Okay," I replied, walking over to Latias, before pausing as Charizard let out a grunt and a snarl. But after I gave him 'the look', Charizard sighed softly, allowing Latias to carry out the job that pretty much _belonged_ to him: Pidgeot was about the only other Pokémon whom Charizard allowed to take me on their back, as he was a long-time companion to the both of us.

"Well, I guess it's time to get to the submersible, then," Meowth said. "Follow me!"

"Where _is _this sub anyway, Meowth?" Brock asked.

"Oh, it's just a few miles down south, until you reach da shoreline. We've made sure dat it was hidden quite well!" Meowth replied.

"If it's a few miles…wouldn't we be better off _flying_?" Sabrina sighed. "But pretty much all of our flyers who can actually carry us are going off with Lance…"

"Oh…I forgot ta think about dat!" he scratched his head, giggling.

"I will take you there myself, before I go to join the others," Mewtwo said, appearing out of nowhere, frightening all of us except for Sabrina.

"_God_, Mewtwo…don't frighten us like that! Tell us in advance when you're coming!" I panted.

"My apologies," he said, "But couldn't you sense my presence using your powers of Aura? What have I taught you?"

"Oh…sorry about that…" I said, embarrassed.

"Come. We must all leave now. The more time we spend here, the graver the situation becomes."

* * *

**(Two hours later)**

We were now all together within Team Rocket's submersible beneath the sea on the southern coast of Kanto, with ample space still available inside. After dropping us off on the beach that Meowth pointed us to, Mewtwo and Latias went off to join the others, but not before Latias flew in to give me another kiss, which I was pretty much obliged to give her. There hadn't been any activity going on at all in the water since we left, and we were growing more fearful as the time passed on, as a deathly quiet surrounded us.

"It's so quiet 'ere! Are you sure that dis is da right place, twerp?" Meowth asked, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head.

"I'm sure. Misty and I were attacked right here in this very area, and my parents were attacked here too, many years ago," I replied.

"Well, whatever you say, then," Jessie exhaled, leaning back like Meowth.

"Wait, Jess! Did you…did you hear that?" James squealed, his teeth beginning to chatter.

"_Relax_, James, it's just another rush of water! The current is just getting stronger, like it has been for the last few hours, that's all!" Jessie tried to relax him.

"No! I swear, that there's something coming up from under us!" he cried hysterically.

"Just settle down and try to calm yourself, James," Sabrina sighed, before smirking. "…you're not a _girl_, are you?"

James was left murmuring incoherently for moments, before we felt a powerful body lash itself against our submersible, no doubt a Gyarados. Luckily, no leakage was caused; the steel body wasn't breached by the hard scales that crashed violently against it.

"Hold tight, all of you! We're going down!" Gary said out loud, yet in a relatively calm manner.

"How can any of you _possibly _be so _calm,_ at a time like _this_?" James shivered.

"At a time like this, what's the good in panicking?" Paul chuckled, actually smiling. James looked at him, his face full of terror as he wondered whether Paul was being foolishly brave or just plain stupid, as we began to descend rapidly into the dark, murky depths below...

**(End of Chapter 13)**

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** The next chapter will be up in a few days. The dialogue scene with all the gym leaders and Elite Four of Kanto and Johto in this chapter was quite challenging to pull off, but I managed it, and it started to flow along naturally. I was also thinking about including Steven Stone and Harrison (Johto League) as main participants in the battle, but ultimately chose to leave them out, as Steven wouldn't have made it to Kanto from Hoenn in such a short time, and Harrison is not going to have a great effect on the main plot.

Just so you know in case you haven't actually read Book I, Lorelei in the games = Prima in the anime. I dunno why they chose to change her name in the English dub, though… :S .

Half of Delia's Pokémon are from the Hoenn Region, now that I look at it…but that was mainly due to the fact that most of the 'pretty', or aesthetically pleasing Pokémon are from the Hoenn region. I looked at the complete list of Kanto and Johto Pokémon, but couldn't see any which would have befitted her style. More about Delia and Chris will be revealed in Book III.

I have a feeling that Will, the psychic trainer in the Johto Elite Four is a bit of a dramatic weirdo in my story though, haha. But then again, he's never appeared in any anime episode, and virtually none (or none at all, I haven't really checked) of the fanfics here ever refer to him, so I took quite a bit of liberties with his character. Although I fear that he may seem a bit too similar to Arkana from Yu-Gi-Oh, with his speech and gestures… :S

I originally had a lot of ideas for this story at this point in the plot, including having several of Ash and Team Rocket's Pokémon return to their parties, such as the Larvitar and Lapras that Ash befriended, as well as Jessie's Dustox, etc, but decided against that as well.

My apologies to the fans of the Unova/Isshu-arc, but I'm not going to include any legendaries or other Pokémon from the Isshu region, as I'm drastically unfamiliar with it, and it's already difficult enough to incorporate every single legendary from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, without forgetting some of them, like the Lake Guardians which I've basically found out about, only after researching for this story's plot. Bulbapedia still has inadequate data on some of the Unova Region Pokémon, as well.

Also, I was thinking about maybe selecting some beta readers, from this point onward. Looking back, I've made the occasional key mistake in some of my chapters (and occasional grammatical errors from typos, which Microsoft Word and the AutoCorrect function on doesn't pick up for me), and I'd like someone to proof read them before I put them up. I've had one previous offer from Eclispe2025 (thank you very much for the offer. You can become a beta reader, if you wish to) while I was writing Book I, but now that I'm progressing through my entire saga, I think that it's best that I get about 3-5 beta readers. So if you're interested, please mention it in your reviews and/or Private Messages.

Please leave your reviews! :)


	15. Falling into Darkness

**Chapter 14**

**Falling into Darkness**

After a long descent through the pitch-dark water, we finally came to a halt as the body of the submersible crashed against a hard surface. Only after making sure that the Shadow Gyarados went elsewhere did we get out of the vessel; James peeping his head above the airlock to look out for any threats as he trembled nervously.

"It looks as if the coast is clear – let's go! I don't want to spend any more time in this place! Let's get in there and then get out!" he stammered.

"Right. _You first_," Jessie slapped him gently on the back.

"…doesn't some code say, 'ladies first'?" James remarked with the hope that he would not have to be the one to go first, before squealing and jolting up and out of the sub, just as Jessie made a fist with her hand. The rest of us followed, dusting ourselves and making sure that our Pokémon were ok. But as soon as we hit the ground, our bodies started to ache with excruciating pain.

"What…_is this…_pain…and where's it…coming from?" Brock wailed, clutching his thighs.

"It's the effects this place has on regular people, through its corrupted aura, Brock," Sabrina said, standing upright albeit with the pain visible in her eyes. "You have to fight it for every minute and every second, otherwise all of us won't last."

"I'll…I'll try to put up a barrier around us," I groaned as I focused myself, putting up the barrier with success. All of us sighed with relief and took deep breaths: none of us were used to physical pain on such a high scale.

"Thank you, Ash…I don't know how long we would've been able to put up with that," Tracey exhaled.

"Thank me later, Trace," I said, "We gotta move right now. And keep close: if any of us get separated, we may not survive."

Everyone nodded, before following behind me and Sabrina, who were at the head of the party. We walked through a colossal hallway which was lit with fire torches hanging on the walls, while the air was as cold as ice, with a hard stone floor which seemed to stretch endlessly. But the more we walked, a stench which was hardly noticeable at first grew greater and greater, until none of us could deny its presence: _blood_... Placing our hands over our noses, we were all surprised and shocked to hear a loud voice echoing from the darkness.

"Welcome, all of you…and welcome to you, Chosen One of Arceus. Please, make yourselves more comfortable…after all, you soon find that you will be staying here for _eternity_, with no hope of ever seeing the outside world, again…" the voice whispered, reminiscent of the hissing of a snake.

"Who…who's there?" I shouted, as all of us started looking around.

"You will see me, soon enough…but first, you will have to _find _me…"

"Wow, what an overdramatic _jackass_…" Gary scoffed.

"_Show yourself, coward_!" Paul bellowed, "Come out and _fight_!"

"Ah, Paul…I've heard about, and seen you numerous times in my visions…you are a powerful trainer, indeed…_powerful enough to become my apprentice, with the Chosen One himself_…"

'_A…apprentice?'_ I thought. _'What was this guy __**up**__ to?'_

"Chosen One…I assume you've come here for your father, as well as your young wife and child?" the voice said again.

"What have you done with them? Where _are _they?" I shouted.

"Calm yourself, young one. I assure you, that they are safe…_in a matter of speaking_…" the voice snidely chuckled.

"I swear, if you've done as much as to lay a _finger _on them…" I growled, seething with anger, before stopping as I suddenly felt my willpower weaken.

"Come, now…_surely _by now, you've realized that your anger and hatred weakens your resolve in this place, and only makes you more susceptible to my powers of corruption?" he teased.

"Ash," Sabrina said, placing her hand on my shoulder as I looked back at her, "You _must _control your emotions in this place, or we'll…we'll all _die_…"

I nodded, reaching back with my hand and placing it on hers to show her that I understood, before retracting it to move on.

"_Come now, Chosen One…meet your fate_…" the voice died out, but not before an entrance opened at the far end of the hallway to our right, a reddish-yellow emanating from it and catching our attention.

"Do…do we _really _have to go in _there_?" James winced again, as I started walking.

"_Come on, _James! Do you wanna be left behind, and left out of this forcefield that's the only thing keeping us from…" Jessie pulled James along, speaking in frustration before she paused, not knowing the proper word. "…well, _you know_!"

"_Oooh, Jessie…__**please **__don't leave me!"_ James started wailing like a little child.

"Don't worry – I won't _ever _abandon you, James," Jessie then spoke softly, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Now come on. We've gotta get moving."

James followed behind Jessie, who led him on by holding his hand. Meowth exhaled and started to grin sheepishly in silence, as I looked back to see what was going on.

'_I have __**no **__idea why dese two don't get married like dose two twoips! They've __**gotta **__realize that they're perfect for each odda!' _Meowth thought as I read his mind, before turning around again to continue on into the illuminated room.

After all of us entered the room, the huge stone doors slammed shut without any warning, causing us to look back in horror as we realized we were trapped. Even Sabrina, who was almost always perfectly calm, had a worried look on her face, as she moved to Brock and hugged him in fear. Deciding that the only possible way now was _forward, _we turned around to face the pitch-black darkness at the center of the room. The darkness wasn't caused due to the absence of light: there were plenty of fire torches inside. Instead, it was a supernatural power, covering everything in the area with a black mist which was completely opaque.

"What…_is that_?" I pointed, before drawing back as a voice rang out from within.

"If you cannot see with your eyes…_then use your __**heart**__, boy!_"

I paused for a moment to recuperate my senses, seeing the truth behind the shadowy mist – someone was there, waiting for us all along. Then, the shadowy mist subsided, revealing the figure of a man garbed in black, seated on a large throne of hard stone. In front of him were six Pokémon, their hides a complete pitch black: a Scizor, Nidoking, Tyranitar, Garchomp, Salamance, and at the head, a Dragonite which appeared to be the leader, all looking at us with hate-filled eyes.

"Torterra, Hyper Beam!" Paul threw out his Pokéball, clearly sick and tired of the man's attitude. His Torterra immediately fired a massive Hyper Beam attack towards the centre of the Shadow Pokémon, only to see it deflected with a lift of a finger by the man. While Paul looked on in shock, Torterra grunted before firing a Razor Leaf attack, which was incinerated with a mere puff of the Dragonite's breath.

"How rude…you begin to attack, without carrying out the proper introductions?" the man scoffed. "My name is Julius Aeneas, servant to the master Apothes."

"I do not _care _about your name!" Paul raged. "You've threatened the life of my fiancée, as well as countless others with your evil, and I'll see to it that you're _destroyed_!"

"Hmph…so vengeful," Julius sneered. "I guess that means you've forgotten what I told you barely minutes ago, about controlling yourself, correct?"

"Paul…_control your anger_. I understand why you're upset, but _please_…" Sabrina pleaded to Paul, who was breathing in and out ferociously, before cooling down after she spoke to him.

"_Where _are you keeping them?" I shouted.

"Why…they're with me, right now!" Julius smiled, holding up the palms of his hands to either side of his body.

'_Strange,' _I thought. _'I don't see anything. __**Unless**__…'_ I peered at the wall of black smoke which still remained behind Julius, concealing what was within. But no matter how hard I tried to sense what was behind it, an immense power prevented me from doing so: it could be none other than Julius' corrupted Aura.

"Well then…_shall we begin_?" Julius grinned. "But first, to ensure a fair fight, I shall allow you to call out all of your Pokémon. Bring out as _many _as you wish: I assure you, you will need every single one of them."

"Alright then, you asked for it!" I shouted, reaching down to my Pokébelt and releasing every one of my Pokémon. "Go, all of you!"

"You too, guys!" Brock cried, releasing his Pokémon. Steelix was released to the forefront, as he positioned himself to intercept any attack on his friends. Tracey then nervously released his Scyther, Azumarill and Venomoth, Scyther eagerly leaping over Steelix's body and glaring menacingly at the Scizor, while the latter two remained behind. Sabrina said not a word, instead glowing a faint blue as her pokeballs levitated off the ground, before releasing her Alakazam, Haunter, Hypno and Venomoth.

"Don't leave me behind! Go, my Pokémon!" Gary commanded, releasing all of his Pokémon at once; Blastoise assuming a stalwart stance upon its release, and Nidoking growling with intent at its Shadow counterparts. Meanwhile, his Scizor moved next to Tracey's Scyther, as if it had sensed its common abhorrence of the Shadow Scizor.

"All of you, standby for battle!" Paul released his party. His Magmortar, Ursaring, Electivire, Aggron and Drapion each let out massive howls towards the opposition. Glancing over at Gary's Electivire, Paul's Electivire's eyes sparked with what appeared to be a curious rivalry, before reverting its attention to the battle.

"Arbok, Seviper, Yanmega, go!" Jessie called out her party, before begrudgingly reaching to the final Pokéball. "And…you too, Wobbuffet…"

"Wo~~bbuffet!" it cried, doing its trademark pose of placing its hand on its head.

"You too, Weezing, Cacnea and Carnivine! Go!" James threw his Pokéballs, releasing them. "Eeee! _Not me, Cacnea and Carnivine! _At _them_!" he wailed, as his two grass types smothered him with their prickly bodies, before he pried them off him. "Well, at least I can be thankful that Victreebel isn't here to do the same…"

"Now, seeing as you've taken the time to launch the first attack, allow _me _to reply in the like," Julius grinned, before stretching his arm out and pointing in our direction. "_Shadow Blast_!"

As soon as he gave the order, all of Julius' Pokémon except his Scizor unleashed a massive blast of dark energy. Instinctively, Pikachu, Infernape and Paul's Gastrodon responded by using a combined Counter Shield to block the attack, after jumping in front of Brock's Steelix. After seeing his Nidoking and Tyranitar maintain their attack but to no avail, Julius held up a hand, drawing them to a stop.

"Ares…Terra…" he said, a slight touch of boredom in his voice.

"Get ready again, guys! We don't know _what _they're capable of!" I warned our Pokémon, who nodded back.

"…_Quake Driver…_" Julius uttered.

'_Huh? 'Quake Driver'? What kind of move is __**that**__?' _I wondered.

More wary now than ever, Pikachu, Infernape and Gastrodon immediately restarted their Counter Shield. Just as we all thought that we were safe from another round of attacks, the Nidoking and Tyranitar each stood with their legs fairly apart, applying such weight on the ground that the stone floor we were standing on became cracked; a rip in the ground extending to where we were standing. Then, the two Shadow Pokémon slammed their feet on the ground, throwing all of us, except for Brock's Steelix who was prepared by tensing his body, off balance. In the process, Pikachu and Infernape were rocked off the ground, and Gastrodon was also shaken, putting an end to their combined Counter Shield. Immediately, the Nidoking and Tyranitar rushed towards us, their fists brimming with dark energy in what appeared to become a combined Mega Punch attack of sorts.

In response, Steelix promptly lashed his heavy tail outwards, taking the full force of the colossal attack to protect all of us, albeit with a great amount of pain inflicted on him. He winced and groaned, as Pikachu darted up his body and looked him in the eyes, asking him if he was okay. But we were all made worried, as Brock also suddenly went to the ground on his knees, clutching his body.

"Brock! _Brock_! Are you okay, honey?" Sabrina cried, falling to the ground and holding Brock.

"My chest…_it hurts_…" he groaned.

"Oh…my apologies…I almost forgot to mention this fact: what pain your Pokémon experience in their battle down here, _you _will experience also," Julius said.

"What? How's that possible?" Gary asked.

"It is because of this: this place you are in, _is, _in truth, the island which I called home, long ago," Julius answered. "Once, long ago, the people of the land didn't use any of that so-called 'Pokéball technology' that you use today. Instead, Pokémon chose their trainers purely as a result of gaining one another's trust, over years of travelling with each other and facing many hardships in the process. As a result, the bond formed between trainer and Pokémon is _far _superior than yours of today. _That _is the trial that you face here: if _you _become corrupted, then so will all of your Pokémon, in an instant. And if all of your Pokémon fall in battle, then…_you_…_will be mine_…"

"Come on, Brock. Get up," I said to him, helping him up with Sabrina. I didn't want to give Julius the satisfaction he would get, if I had given him an answer. I now _despised _the sound of his voice.

"Ungh…I'll be…just fine, Ash," Brock mumbled, before finally getting back on his feet, while Sabrina still looked at him with worried eyes which were on the verge of producing tears.

"What kind of attack was _that?_" I cried in frustration, before Julius answered.

"_That_, Chosen One, is something that you would refer to nowadays, as a 'combination attack'," Julius wagged his finger.

"A…'combination attack'?" I murmured.

"_Pathetic fool_," Julius hissed. "Now I know how that _pitiful_ weakling, the King of Pokélantis, possessed you in the first place…you are blatantly naïve, and _utterly _predictable and stupid…" he berated me, as I began to clench a fist in anger at his comments. "Do you _truly _believe that you will get far as a trainer, by always attempting to use singular attack after singular attack, whilst almost perpetually reacting to your opponent's moves? Such battle methods are dull, overused, and above all, _obsolete_. You must think in an _innovative_ manner, constantly creating combination moves of your own, so that your opponents will never suspect your actions, if you are to achieve victory after victory. And do not assume that you hold the advantage, simply because your Pokémon vastly outnumber mine. You have _no idea _what kind of power we have amassed over the millennia…"

"Mi-millennia?" Gary whimpered.

"Correct. My Pokémon and I are from a time when prophets of Arceus still roamed the world, and ancient civilisations such as Pokélantis and Pokémopolis were still thousands of years away from existing. Over time, my Pokémon have surpassed any and all of their contemporaries, with none even _daring _to track them down and challenge them. But for now…" he said, rising slowly from his chair and looking down, smirking. "_Let us continue!_" he yelled, suddenly forming a dark ball of corrupted Aura energy in his hand in an instant, before hurling it towards us. I immediately tried to strengthen my barrier to prevent the attack from getting through, while Sabrina tried her best to stop it, but succeeding only to slow it down. After it struck, my barrier was left barely intact and fading fast.

"Guys…" I groaned, "I don't think I can keep this up…"

"What do you _mean_, twerp? Of _course_ you have to keep it up! We'll all _die _if you don't!" James wailed.

"Just let go, twerp," Jessie said. "We all have to play our part, anyway."

"Huh? Jess, you can't _say _that! Do you have any idea what kind of place this is?" James jolted over to her and begged, holding her hands.

"Snap out of it, James!" Jessie slapped him back and forth repeatedly. "If the twerp keeps this up, then he'll have no energy to battle! And if he doesn't have energy to battle, then what do you think that means?"

"You're right, Jess," Sabrina nodded. "If Ash falls, then so will we. After all, he _is _the Chosen One – if he fails, then the entire world is doomed."

"I agree," Brock chimed in. "Let down the barrier, Ash. We'll all be fine."

I nodded reluctantly, as the barrier dissipated from around us. Just as before, the pain returned to all of us, Sabrina and Paul virtually being the only ones to not jerk about and grip their hands tightly on their bodies, but still struggling to maintain their posture.

"_…attack, Kradus…_" Julius murmured, and without another moment's hesitation, his Scizor lunged towards us, while his Nidoking and Tyranitar prepared another volley of intense fire. His dragons rushed up and over towards us, as Heracross, Brock's Crobat, Sabrina and Tracey's Venomoths and Paul's Gliscor and Honchkrow rushed to intercept them, trying desperately to keep their attacks away from the rest of us.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur growled, before he and Torterra unleashed a combined Razor Leaf attack towards the Shadow Nidoking's eyes, temporarily stunning it before Bulbasaur rushed up for a Take Down attack. But just as he was about to make contact, the Shadow Scizor came in with a pulsing claw to counter him. However, Squirtle immediately decided to save his friend by hitting the Scizor's eyes with a Water Gun attack.

"Ursaring, Hammer Arm!" Paul ordered. Ursaring growled savagely, rushing forward and pummelling the Scizor's body mercilessly with its fist. "Torterra, Electivire and Magmortar, prepare to give Ursaring covering fire!"

His Pokémon immediately began charging a Leaf Storm, Thunder and Flamethrower attack respectively, awaiting the right moment to strike as Ursaring turned his attention to the Nidoking and Tyranitar.

"Scizor, get out there and _take out _that pretender!" Gary yelled, as his Scizor rushed forward to prevent its Shadow counterpart from attacking Ursaring and Bulbasaur.

"Go help him out, Scyther!" Tracey pointed outwards, as his aged Scyther charged nobly towards the enemy. His Scyther and Gary's Scizor then engaged the Shadow Scizor in a dangerous duel with their claws; Julius' Scizor's skills were amazing indeed, as it seemed to have little trouble taking on two foes at once.

"Bulbasaur, get on Ursaring's back, and fire another Razor Leaf at them!" I called out.

"Bulba!" he nodded quickly, leaping and hanging onto Ursaring's back as it surged towards the Nidoking and Tyranitar.

"Fire now!" Paul cried, as Torterra, Electivire and Magmortar unleashed a massive wave of searing-hot leaves infused with lightning, which made heavy contact against the two Shadow Pokémon. "Ursaring, Hammer Arm again!"

"Razor Leaf now, Bulbasaur!" I shouted.

"Maaaaar!" Ursaring bellowed furiously, smashing both his fists against the Tyranitar and Nidoking, after Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf and the combined attack of Paul's other Pokémon distracted them.

"Hmph," Julius cracked a smile.

"Huh? What's going on? That attack hit em' dead center!" I jerked back.

"They used Protect! _Get out of there, Ursaring and Bulbasaur_!" Brock cried frantically, but it was too late: the force field produced by their Protect dissipated, before the Nidoking and Tyranitar mercilessly smashed Ursaring and Bulbasaur away, sending them sailing through the air, as the Shadow Salamence fired at them with what looked like a dark Flamethrower attack, after ramming its head into Heracross and sending him into a wall. Crashing onto the ground in front of us, Ursaring and Bulbasaur struggled to stand, but they both refused to give up, as Paul and Squirtle rushed over to them. Scyther and Scizor were also knocked back towards us by their much-powerful opponent.

"…Shadow Blast…" Julius whispered. The Tyranitar and Nidoking then fired another blast at us, causing Sabrina, Brock, Gary and Tracey to dive in one direction, while Team Rocket, Paul and I dived the other way. Our Pokémon dodged in every direction except for Brock's Steelix, who had the misfortune of being bogged down by his massive weight, thus taking the full brunt of the attack.

"Steelix, return!" Brock recalled him while still lying on the ground next to Sabrina, whose body shook as she whimpered. "Sabrina! Are you hurt?" he cried, taking her in his arms.

"It's nothing, I…I just rolled my ankle slightly, that's all…" she replied softly.

'_I didn't know that the fighting was gonna be in such close quarters…I'm starting to regret that I didn't bring along Primeape as well…' _I thought, biting my lower lip.

"Saaa…" I looked up, to see the Salamence suddenly only a few feet away from me, drawing closer towards us at a soaring pace. James was still stunned and struggling to pull himself together, while Jessie was very much the same as she slowly shifted her arms and legs beside me. With no time to spare, I instinctively covered Jessie's body with my own to protect her, keeping her head down low with my hand. But just as I thought that I was done for, Pikachu stunned the Salamence with a Thunderbolt, before Infernape gave a swiping blow to its face with a Mach Punch, knocking it against a wall.

"Twerp…what did you…just do?" Jessie asked, looking up at my face.

"Jessie, just because you guys annoyed the hell outta me for so many years, do you _honestly _believe that I'd just leave you to _die_?" I replied. "Although you've always been my enemy, that doesn't mean that I'd be heartless enough to do something like that. After all, it's the decent and proper thing to do."

"Th-thank you…Ash…" she whispered back. _Did she just call me by my __**name**__?_

"Okay, then. Now, let's get back to where we were at," I nodded solemnly.

"Ri-right…" she murmured, before getting back up to her feet as I helped her up. James and Meowth both got up as well, rubbing their heads and trying to find their balance again.

"Get back up, all of you!" Paul said out loud. "This fight isn't over!"

Minutes later, the vast majority of our Pokémon were exhausted along with us, panting heavily and finding it difficult even to stand. The only redeeming fact at present was that Infernape's Blaze ability had been activated, enabling him to maintain his power. Bulbasaur took deep breath after breath, all his muscles tensed as he glared furiously at the dark figures before us: if there was one thing in this world he hated more than anything, it was losing to, or being bested by absolutely _anyone_. We all looked across the room, to see the Shadow Pokémon still very much intact, whilst half of our Pokémon had now been recalled into our Pokéballs.

"Why?" I panted. "_Why _aren't any of his Pokémon showing even the _slightest_ amount of fatigue?"

"The darkness of this place…" Julius smiled darkly, "…_feeds their power_…they will never tire, never falter, whilst your Pokémon grow weaker with each passing moment. It is inevitable. There is no escape for you. _Surrender now…or die…"_

"I can't…keep this up…for much longer…" James wheezed, as he and Jessie struggled to support each other to remain standing.

"Wait a minute…what was that noise just now?" Brock looked around, after we all heard a crashing explosion in the distance.

"_That_, is the sound of my limitless army, at last beginning battle with your _paltry _gathering of motley individuals and Pokémon alike," Julius said. "However, like you, should they insist on fighting, they will all ultimately lose, and eventually become servants to my master. But for now…" he grinned. "What do you say that we get a…_better view of the battle_?"

Julius raised his right hand upwards as a titanic tremor followed, rocking our entire surroundings. We all felt as if we were being elevated upwards at an uncontrollable pace, collapsing to the ground due to the vibration and struggling to regain our bearings. We could hear a huge surge of water above and around us, the sound growing louder and louder, until at last, the top of structure pierced through the water and soared more than a mile into the sky, revealing itself once more to the outside world. With a point of his finger, Julius caused a great hole to form on the wall behind us, as we all stood up and looked outside: we were hopelessly outnumbered, and the skies were literally filled with corrupted dragon Pokémon and a limitless number of Crobats.

"So what shall it be, Chosen One?" Julius spoke to me again. "Will you surrender now, and swear your loyalty to me and Master Apothes? Or are you willing to continue this _hopeless _fight of yours, in which you will all lose your lives? You need only to surrender, and your lives, at least, will be spared," Julius leaned forwards, away from the back of his throne.

"_I will_…" I grunted, struggling to answer. My mouth was dry and my throat more sore than ever, as I finally collapsed onto my knees in fatigue. Julius' eyes lit up and he let out a small smile, ready to accept what he thought to be my agreement to eternal servitude. He was to be _greatly _disappointed. "…_never…serve you…"_

Julius then leaned back against his throne, tilting his head from side to side while looking at me with a slightly irritated look in his eyes, before smiling devilishly once more. "Very well, Chosen One. So you have chosen…_death…_However, I shall allow you a brief moment of respite, and some pause, before your demise. _And_…" he raised one finger, "…the wish you've been waiting for more than _two years_ to come true."

And with that, Julius reached out his arm, dissipating the black mist that hid everything behind it in shadow for so long. My eyes widened with disbelief: to the right was my father on his knees, his clothes tattered and stained with blood, while his hair was a long and utter mess. And to my left…

To my left stood Misty, not tortured and seemingly on the verge of death like my father, but standing, garbed in black, with more strength and determination than I had ever seen in my life. She was every bit just as beautiful as I remembered in my dreams; her pale skin was perfect as it had ever been, while her long hair flowed freely down her back, like the ravishing style she used to apply whenever she gave one of her mermaid shows. Her cerulean-blue eyes looked at me as if she was looking into my very soul, to tell me that she missed me just as much as I missed her. My heart was immediately gladdened by the sight that she was alright, as she looked down at Ethan, who was covered with cloth. But my joy disappeared altogether, as Ethan turned his head round slowly to look at me.

Ethan's eyes burned an evil red, as he gave a slow and sinister smile which sent shivers down my entire body. In a state of disbelief, I looked back up at Misty, before freezing in shock as I looked into her eyes – they were now also burning with the intensity of a searing furnace.

"What's _wrong_, Ash?" she grinned at me after a moment of silence. "…_didn't you miss your __**family**_?"

**(End of chapter 14)**

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* * *

**

**A/N: **Chapter 15 will be uploaded soon, and it will be split about half-half between the battles happening both outside and within Julius' lair.

I was thinking of maybe switching the rating now to M, but I think that I'll just keep it at T instead, as the later chapters won't be as dark as I imagined, although they're still quite dark.

Please tell me if you see any odd bits in terms of Pokémon moves, grammar, etc (my Microsoft Word is automatically set to English (Australia), so there might be a few spelling issues with U.S. spelling which my computer looks over)... I was also watching a drama about Napoleon at the same time I was writing some sections of this chapter, and might have been slightly distracted :S .

And just as a reminder of what Pokemon Ash and his friends have brought with them, here is the list:

Ash: Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Sceptile, Torterra, Infernape, Glalie, Tauros, Donphan, Heracross.

Gary: Blastoise, Umbreon, Electivire, Arcanine, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Alakazam, Scizor.

Brock: Steelix, Geodude, Crobat, Forretress, Marshstomp, Sudowoodo, Croagunk.

Tracey: Scyther, Venomoth, Azumarill.

Team Rocket: Arbok, Seviper, Wobbuffet, Yanmega, Weezing, Cacnea, Carnivine.

Paul: Torterra, Electivire, Ursaring, Hariyama, Aggron, Gastrodon, Drapion, Magmortar, Honchkrow and Gliscor

Also a reminder of what each of Julius' Pokémon are:

Mars = Dragonite, Jupiter = Salamence, Saturn = Garchomp, Ares = Tyranitar, Terra = Nidoking, Kradus = Scizor.

Please leave your reviews! :)


	16. Heartbroken

**Chapter 15**

**Heartbroken**

**(The southern coastline of Kanto, a few miles away from Pallet Town)**

**(3****rd****-person narrative)**

"All right, this is it," Lance declared from atop his Dragonite, which hovered above all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four of Kanto and Johto. All of the Pokémon in his vicinity peered up to him also. "We have to hold this position, to buy Ash and the others time to end this chaos, once and for all. There's _no _turning back now. And remember, these are _Shadow _Pokémon we're dealing with, so don't fire a couple of Thunderbolt attacks at a Gyarados, thinking that it'll knock it out. _None_ of our moves will be super-effective against any of them, so be warned. Now…is everyone ready?"

"Primed and ready, Lance," Brandon nodded, his three Regis standing firmly next to Regigigas.

"We're all good to go," Lt. Surge smirked, giving a thumbs-up, before his smile faded as he saw Agatha shaking her head at him in disapproval of his inappropriately positive attitude.

"Be safe, my darling…" Prima said to Lance as she looked up at him from her Lapras, receiving an affectionate and caring look from her husband.

"My clones are prepared, and so are all of the Legendaries," Mewtwo informed.

"Then all that is left, is to wait," Lance sighed, relaxing himself as much as possible, to prepare himself mentally for the battle ahead. All the other Gym Leaders and Elite Four members were situated in their proposed positions, agreed upon during the assembly meeting.

"Delia, is everything alright?" Professor Oak looked sideways towards her and spoke, after noticing a sullen look on her face.

"Huh? Y-yes, Professor Oak…I'm fine…" she murmured, stroking her Milotic which she was riding on the sea.

"Don't worry too much about Ash and the others, Delia – I'm sure they'll be fine. And I'm confident that Chris will make it out, as well," he reassured her.

"You're right, professor – Ash will be just fine. I guess that I'm just…how can I describe this…" she looked down, searching for the proper words. "_Nervous_… I haven't seen my husband for more than twenty-two years, since that accident…I hope he'll be okay…"

"Don't worry, Delia. I'm sure him, Misty and your grandson will make it out just fine. I have faith in Ash, in his abilities, and in his friends who are with him now," Professor Oak smiled.

"Alright, professor. I'll try to focus on the battle, from now on," Delia nodded, reverting her attention forward.

Alongside Brandon's Regis and Regigigas were several other Pokémon who were capable of using Protect, to guard the numerous Pokémon standing behind them. Closer to the shoreline was the mighty Groudon, accompanied by a vast number of Tyranitars, Nidokings and Queens. Right up against the shoreline were many Pokémon who would engage in melee combat against any Shadow Pokémon that would make it ashore: Scythers, Scizors, Machamps and the like. As ordered by Ash earlier, Pidgeot, Swellow and Pidgeot's second-in-command, Fearow, led their combined flocks, joined by Ash's other flying Pokémon and those of the wild. And on the ocean, a fleet of water Pokémon led by several Gyarados, Tentacruel, Lapras and Milotic who carried several smaller auxiliary Pokémon on their backs, awaited the slightest sign of the enemy's approach. Pokémon from every known region were now banded together to achieve a common purpose, their numbers in the thousands.

"Prepare yourselves, everyone…I _hear _the enemy's approach…" Pryce warned, holding his hand in the air as Kyogre let out a soft, low growl beside him. "Easy there, my friend."

Just as Pryce said, the dark-red horizon soon turned a lightless black, as an incessant screeching could be heard from the distance, reminiscent of the cries of thousands of Crobats. It _was_. As the horde of Shadow Pokémon drew closer, they could all see a few gargantuan figures within their numbers: a Dragonite, Salamence and Garchomp as large as the Silph Co. building itself, as well as a Wailord which completely dwarfed even its own kind. And all the while they steadily approached, true visibility of their numbers was made hazy, by the blazingly fast flying speed of the countless Crobats.

Losing all patience, Groudon let out a savage Hyper Beam in the general direction of the enemy. As the attack made contact with a Shadow Gyarados, the dragon Pokémon recoiled several feet, before sinking lifelessly into the darkness of the sea. Groudon immediately let out a triumphant howl, as the Tyranitar on either side of him joined him by letting out ferocious roars to intimidate the enemy. But the Shadow Pokémon were not intimidated to the slightest degree – instead, responding with a titanic mass of roars, screeches and howls which rendered that of the Groudon and the Tyranitar as if it were nothing more than the irritating squeaks of a mouse, terrifying the smaller and weaker Pokémon such as Oddish and Rattata to their very core.

Then, one by one, bright, lavender-colored lights began to light up in the distance, reminiscent of a grand-scale light show. Many Pokémon began to look at each other in confusion, baffled by the display and letting their guard down. But then, as the spheres of light grew bigger and bigger, Lt. Surge bellowed at everyone, throwing every Pokémon and human into a state of panic.

"_Get down!"_ he yelled, his voice still lingering in the air as the massive attack rained down upon the coastline, utterly destroying some of the smaller Pokémon who were caught in the line of fire. Brandon's Regis and the others then promptly scrambled to reform the line, all putting up Iron Defence, Protect, Barrier and Safeguard layers to protect those behind them, albeit shaking and being pushed back several inches with every attack that came crashing against their shields. Groudon and the Pokémon around him, as well as all of the water Pokémon immediately started to return fire, all the while taking care to avoid the onslaught of attacks from the Shadow Pokémon. But the unluckiest of all were the Pokémon who were situated right on the shoreline; several Scyther and others were taken out by the merciless attacks they suffered.

"Let's go! _Move_!" Pryce shouted, rather out of character for his cool and composed demeanor. All at once, the water Pokémon surged towards the enemy in the hopes of preventing them from landing, Delia swallowing nervously as her Milotic swam forward alongside Prima's Lapras. Pidgeot and the other flying Pokémon immediately swooped over them, heading straight for the multiple Shadow Crobats who threatened to loom over them, striking and causing disunity in their lines with Steel Wing and Whirlwind attacks.

Mewtwo, Mew, Lugia, Latias, Jirachi and a host of Celebi from the past and future flew together as a single unit to the front lines; Jirachi, Latias and the Celebi doing all they could to hold off the swarms of Crobats and other flying Shadow Pokémon, while Mewtwo, Mew and Lugia concentrated their combined psychic powers on the gargantuan Wailord which threatened to swamp over the water Pokémon behind them. Grimacing intensely due to their physical exertion, the three psychic Legendaries finally stopped the Wailord in its tracks, immobilizing it in the air before hurling it towards a formation of sharp rocks, crushing several Shadow Gyarados which haplessly stood in its path before crashing into the rocks, never moving again. Although worn out a fair amount due to the resulting fatigue, Mewtwo, Mew and Lugia resolved to fight on immediately, intercepting several groups of Crobat which threatened to swarm over Delia and Prima, after breaking through a portion of the combined flocks of Ash's Pidgeot and Swellow.

And on the water, the sea-based Pokémon, led by the numerous Lapras, Gyarados, Tentacruel and Milotic, sallied forth bravely, shooting attacks at the oncoming Shadow Gyarados. Once the opposing Pokémon were right next to each other, several of the auxiliary Pokémon on their backs either leapt onto the backs of the Pokémon carriers (which the Shadow Pokémon did far more often than their counterparts), or chose to defend them from the enemy. Both the pure and corrupted Scythers and Scizors locked claws atop of the water Pokémon carrying them, trading deadly blows for the very lives of both themselves and their carriers. The air above the water was filled with the noise and ruckus caused by a sea of a battlefield, as the Shadow Pokémon consistently drew ever closer to completely surrounding and enveloping the brave defenders…

* * *

**(Meanwhile, in Julius' throne room)**

**(Ash's POV)**

"Mist…is that…is that really you?" I gasped, holding my hand in front of me, from my longing for her.

Misty looked down at Ethan again, grinning devilishly as she whispered into his ear. "Darling, your father is speaking to us…perhaps you'd like to show him your affection?"

Ethan said not a word; instead, a grim frown replaced his evil grin, as he raised his hand up, stretching his palm out towards me.

'_No…he __**couldn't**__…could he?'_ I thought, my arms falling helplessly to my sides.

'_Yes, Ash…he __**has**__…' _Misty's own thoughts entered my mind, as I looked to see her smiling menacingly at me, before a surge of energy came from Ethan's hand, knocking me over.

"What is wrong, Chosen One?" Julius mocked, "…can't you control your own _child_?"

"Get up, Ash Ketchum_. Get up,_" Misty impatiently said, holding Ethan over to her right, upon which he began to levitate by himself through his powers. "_Get up, so I can have the pleasure of killing you myself_."

"Mist…you can't possibly _mean_ that. Y-you're my _wife_! My childhood sweetheart!" I cried to her, after coughing and spluttering while struggling to get back up. And, for one brief moment, I could swear I saw Misty's body tense up a little, as her eyes reverted temporarily to the beautiful cerulean orbs they were, drawing a nervous glance from Julius. And in my heart, I knew that this wasn't a false act of hers, as it was when I first laid my eyes on her again: _there was still hope_. Then, with another blink of her eyes, they immediately burned with a fiery rage again as she glared at me, advancing. At once, Paul raised his hand to give the order to attack to his Ursaring, opening his mouth to speak before being stopped by Sabrina, who promptly lowered his hand with one hand while restraining him by his chest with the other.

"This is between Ash and Misty, Paul. Ash has to do this alone, if he's to get Misty back. We can't interfere," she said to a begrudging Paul who nodded reluctantly, clenching his teeth together.

"Too little, too late, _my love_," she scoffed, speaking those last two words in a sarcastic and mocking way. "But…on second thought…I may not kill you at all," she remarked, crouching by my side, and caressing my cheek softly as she had always done, to weaken my resolve. I swallowed hard, determined not to give in to my own desire.

"What…what do you mean?" I hoarsely asked.

"Because…" she smiled wickedly, "…of this…"

My eyes widened in shock as she kissed me passionately, but it wasn't the kiss which caused me uneasy emotions – it was rather the _vision _I was having, given to me by her as our lips locked for the first time in over two years.

* * *

**(Ash's vision)**

I saw the two of us sitting in a single throne laden with gold, with wealth and countless servants surrounding us: a life which was worthy of an _emperor. _We were free: it was now three years after Julius had been killed by our hands right after we had turned on him together, before turning on our so-called 'friends', ending their lives one by one, before besting the powers of Arceus himself. And through it, we gained immeasurable power from our one and only master, Apothes, who granted us immortality and lordship over the entire Earth. But neither of us did so much as to care about what happened in the past now, as Misty sprawled herself over me while caressing my face seductively. A five year old Ethan was standing by himself over in a nearby conjoining chamber, out of our view, but everything he did, we could hear: his soft, young chuckles could be heard clearly over the cowardly whimpers of the servants who huddled together in fear before him. Looking over, we could see the silhouette of him produced by a fire torch, as he pointed his finger at them one by one, ending their miserable lives then and there with either the swiftness of a broken neck, or by his most favored method: a slow, painful, and excruciating death by whatever method he imagined, taking pleasure at hearing the shrieks of pain coming from his victims.

"Would you mind scouring the land again for more rats-in-hiding, my love?" she grinned, "Young Ethan is starting to run out of…_toys_…"

"Very well, darling…where shall I go today? I'm feeling rather…_nostalgic_…Pallet Town, or Cerulean City?" I smirked, stroking the skin of her stomach.

She chuckled softly, rubbing my hand. "Wherever your heart desires, honey…wherever pleases you…"

"…Pallet Town it is," I said, stretching my legs out to get up, as Misty got out of my lap. Then, looking at each other with lustful, red eyes, we kissed deeply and passionately before I left the lair. Upon walking outside, I took up my most trusted and loyal steed, Charizard, who mighty black wings blew away the heavy rocks in his path as he lifted off, soaring through the skies towards the place which we once called home.

This world, this planet…it was perfect now, and a new destiny greater than any being – human or Pokémon – could imagine, was soon to come to fruition…for it was _ours_.

**(End vision)**

**

* * *

**

As Misty broke her kiss, I jerked back and started to pant deeply while holding my hand over my pounding heart. I had never had such a vision before in my life. It was truly horrid…

Meanwhile, Julius still sat in his throne, a bemused and fairly perplexed look on his face as he stared at us with curious eyes.

"Mist…what's going on? What was that?" I whimpered, my back pressed up against the wall.

"Ssh…easy now, darling," she whispered into my ear, covering me with another series of soft kisses down my neck. "That was a vision of what was to come. Julius doesn't have a clue what kind of vision I gave you, let alone what I'm thinking of, right now. I've mastered a way to prevent him from reading my thoughts. Now…_if _you choose to join me…"

The effect of the corrupted aura around me was starting to get to me now – I could no longer think straight, and my vision started to become blurry. I just wanted everything to stop…to give up…to give in, and just be with Misty forever…

"No, son!" the man in tattered rags reached out his hand, calling to me in desperation. "You mustn't give in! You have to _fight_!"

_No._

_I __**couldn't **__give in. Not now._

"D-dad?" I turned my weary head to him.

"If you give in now, then you'll put everyone – the entire planet – at risk! You _can't _give in!" he cried.

I turned my head back to Misty who was still smiling at me. But her smile was fading fast, as Dad's shouting was starting to irritate her. Longing for nothing else, I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing my face against her hair. "Misty, I love you, and you know that."

"Of course you do…" she chuckled, returning my embrace.

"_But…_" I continued. All at once, I felt her tense up in my arms again. "I can't follow you down this path."

"What…what do you mean?" she broke our hug and held my face in her hands, looking at me with eyes that were now constantly shifting between red and cerulean blue. "You…do love me…don't you?"

"Yes. I love you, Mist, and I always will," I nodded. "But I can't abandon my friends, no matter _how much _power you say that I will gain."

Misty's surprised look then shifted dramatically into one of pure anger and hatred, as her eyes burned more intensely than ever before. "You…. pathetic…. _Weakling!"_ she bellowed, tossing me aside with her tremendous powers of Aura. "_Why_ did I ever marry such a _worthless, weak _individual like you?"

I gathered myself again, lifting myself away from the ground and wiping my mouth with my sleeve as I realized that I was now bleeding. Struggling to stand as resolutely as possible, I spoke to her again. "Maybe you're right…. Maybe I _am _weak. But I just can't bring myself to hurt you, Mist. But I won't give in to this darkness, either._ I have to fight on_. I _**love**_ you, and I'd go to the ends of the earth – even **_die_ **for you – if it means I can bring you back from this terrible fate. I'm _not leaving without you, Mist.._."

"Ash…" Misty spoke again, but this time with clear, blue eyes which let out tears. But just like before, her fingers twitched as she looked down slowly, before her head jolted up again to reveal her fiery red eyes once more. "That is the _last _mistake you shall ever make in your life. _It's time for you to die_…"

With a sudden jerk of her hand, Misty fired another sphere of Aura energy at me, driving me against the wall and making me cringe before crumpling onto the ground. She walked towards me slowly, pulling out a sharp blade she held concealed under her black garments, holding it grimly with murderous intent as Ethan and Julius looked on, smiling. Pikachu, although clearly exhausted, took it upon himself to let out one last Thunderbolt towards Misty, the distraught look on his face showing his abhorrence at the fact that he was forced to attack the one person we both dearly loved. But his Thunderbolt was deflected away by Misty, who didn't even look at the oncoming attack as she held up her hand, sending the jolt of lightning back at Pikachu, rendering him unable to continue any further. Blade in hand, she gripped me by the back of my collar, turning me so that I was face-up on the ground, before kneeling by my side. She then brought the blade down towards my neck, slowly at first, but faster and faster as her dark side urged her on. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the inevitable as I awaited my fate. But it never came – I opened my eyes, to see Misty panting and struggling with the blade which hovered mere inches away from ending my life, as it rattled and shook intensively. Her eyes were clenched shut, and her face was left awash with sweat and tears

"What are you _doing_, girl?" Julius bellowed, while Ethan remained silent, watching intently. "_Finish him!"_

"No!" she cried. "I-I…I can't…kill my own…husband…my one true love…since…my childhood…" she stammered, her eyes switching uncontrollably rapidly between red and blue as she continued to struggle with the blade.

"Fight it, Mist…I love you, and I know you can do it…" I encouraged her with a hoarse whisper, devoid of energy.

"I…I can't hold on, Ash…I'm growing…weak…" she whimpered. As I reached into my pocket and pulled out the handkerchief she gave me long ago, she looked into my eyes in shock. Smiling, I wiped the sweat and tears from her face, all the while with the blade still shaking above my neck.

"Do you remember this? You gave it to me, more than a decade ago," I smiled.

"My…handkerchief…" she gasped. "Why…here?"

"_Because_…because it's the symbol of our love, Mist. I know this may sound stupid, but to me, this one handkerchief is more important to me than our wedding rings. Do you know why?" I asked her, to see the light in her eyes shaking nervously. The rapid transition between red and blue in her eyes had now slowed dramatically, with the beautiful cerulean blue jewels I fell in love with years ago being far more dominant, with only a flicker of red continuing to linger. "It's because it reminds me of what you had to put yourself through, during the many years that we spent apart from each other. You said it to Sabrina yourself, two years ago – that you had remained loyal to me for an entire six years, despite your beauty attracting countless trainers. It's your sense of loyalty that I love the most about you, Mist, and I don't know where I'd be, without you in my life. And that's what your handkerchief reminds me of now, whenever I look at it. I _love you_, Misty, and I'd rather damn myself than to ever lose you, again."

"Ash…" she whispered, as her eyes fully reverted back to their normal blue. The blade she once held firmly with an iron grip now fell onto the stone ground, clanging several times before falling silent. "I love you…" Misty held me tightly, tears falling from both our eyes as we kissed deeply. Looking over her shoulder, I was gladdened by the sight of Ethan, who had also been reverted back to normal as he lay on the ground: reading his mind in order to find the answer, I understood that he changed back because he had sorely missed the sight of me and Misty together, and that he wanted us to be a family again.

"Mist…you have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words again…" I sobbed. She responded by hugging me warmly, taking her handkerchief and drying my tears, before her body froze completely.

"Ash…" she murmured. "It's not over…"

I looked at her, to see that she was looking at something behind me. Turning my head slowly and fearfully, I was met by the sight of Julius, who was now standing up out of his throne. His dark aura encompassed his entire body in a shadowy flame, a growing sphere of dark Aura energy held in either hand, as the monstrous glare in his eyes told us only one thing.

_There would be no mercy._

**(End of Chapter 15)**

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* * *

**

**A/N:** Chapter 16 will be uploaded in a few days. This story is almost complete! :D . Just about 4-5 more chapters to go, I believe .

There were some Pokémon moves I took care to note the difference of, between the games and the anime (e.g.: Safeguard acts like a Protect in the anime, instead of protecting the Pokémon from status ailments like in the games).

I was originally going to make the scene in Ash's vision as an 'alternative ending', but decided against it, as the outcome would have been highly predictable if Ash had chosen to give in, instead of continuing to fight for Misty. And just for clarification, the scene in the vision takes place three years after the events of this story (but it never comes true). So the characters' ages are still the same as they were in my last Characters' Ages update in Chapter 11.

Please leave your reviews!


	17. Hope Fades

**Chapter 16**

**Hope Fades**

**(Meanwhile, the battle outside the lair rages on…)**

**(3****rd****-person narrative)**

"Prima! Get out of there! _Now_!" Lance shouted desperately, freefalling with his Dragonite down towards his wife who was on the verge of being surrounded by Shadow Gyarados and Tentacruel. Meanwhile, Delia retreated to the skies on her Altaria alongside Professor Oak on his Charizard, recalling her Milotic just in time as she evacuated from the sea.

The battle was virtually – if not well and truly – lost now, even with the aid of the Legendaries. The Shadow Pokémon were far too many, swarming over and around the defenders like a plague of locusts. Trainers and Pokémon alike retreated in disarray in droves, running for their lives until they reached high ground, where the bulkier Shadow Pokémon could not easily follow. But Lance, concentrating solely on saving his wife, stopped at nothing to reach her as he swooped down and pulled her up with him onto Dragonite's back, upon which she hastily recalled her Lapras. Prima was in tears as she held onto her husband in sorrow; her dear Dewgong had lost its life after throwing itself in front of a powerful Slash attack aimed at her by a Shadow Scyther. Accompanied by Lugia on his left and Ho-oh to his right, Lance bravely steered Dragonite back towards the ledge where Agatha's Gengar lead them to.

"This doesn't look good at all," Will shook his head, clenching his teeth. "Even the Legendaries have all pulled back, and they're shooting our flyers right out of the sky. I've got a bad- no…a _terrible _feeling about this…"

"Don't try to 'feel', child. Just fight!" Agatha berated him, causing him to gulp and nod reluctantly.

"_Where is the air support?"_ Lt. Surge bellowed from the front lines on the beach, his Pokémon fighting on desperately.

"We ain't got none, _sir_!" cried back a corporal from the unit that Lt. Surge was formerly a part of. "Most of em' fliers have already been taken out during the dogfight!"

"To _hell _with that! _Push harder_!" the lieutenant shouted back. With his very command, the defending Pokémon began to push back the relentless attack of the Shadow Pokémon slowly (excruciatingly so), driving the battle lines back beyond the beach and providing some much-needed extra support for the Pokémon on the water, lead by an almost-exhausted Kyogre. The skies were virtually devoid of friendly flying Pokémon, with almost half of Pidgeot and Swellow's combined flock wiped out by the vicious Shadow Crobats, and supported now only by Lugia, Ho-oh, the numerous Celebis, Jirachi, Rayquaza, and Latias, who was drawing tears at the prospect that she may never get to see her love, Ash, again.

Meanwhile, as Mew and Mewtwo continued to fight on beside each other against the endless waves of Crobat, they saw a hole being burst through the side of the colossal structure that was Julius' lair. Feeling Ash and the others' presence, they soared towards it, in the hopes of saving them from a dark fate.

"Where's Arceus and his three Guardians?" Lance spoke through gritted teeth. "They should _be _here by now, instead of leaving us in oblivion!"

"Be patient, darling," Prima held his arm, "I'm sure they'll arrive soon. They won't forsake us."

"Let's hope so," Pyramid King Brandon said from aside, while continuing to look towards the battle with crossed arms. "Our strength will be bested, should this continue on for even one more hour…."

But then, everyone's attention shifted to the east, where the sound of several helicopters and gunships could be heard. Delia's mouth gaped open as she looked up at the lead gunship which was significantly larger than the others, to see a man whom she hadn't seen in person for more than two decades – Giovanni. Every vessel was adorned with Team Rocket's trademark 'R', and began to line up in formation for an attack.

"Greetings, all of you," Giovanni's voice rang out from a mega-speaker attached on the top of the massive gunship. Domino was standing next to him as usual, her arms crossed as she looked forward. Now a fully developed and beautiful woman at the age of 22, Domino was both feared and highly respected by the lesser agents and grunts, and, to an extent, those of her own class. Flicking her long, curly, golden locks of hair, she looked up at Giovanni before smiling as she reverted her attention back towards the battle, walking to the front of the gunship to give orders to the gunners as Giovanni spoke again. "I believe that you are bewildered by the fact that I – and Team Rocket, for that matter – has decided to show up at such an event. Simply put, let me answer your question, with a question of my own: what profit or gain will I make, should this world be destroyed forever at the hands of these…monstrocities? Now…_hold the line_!"

* * *

**(Meanwhile, in Julius' lair)**

**(Ash's POV)**

"_You…have…betrayed me, girl…and I know of only __**one **__way…to deal with traitors…"_ Julius seethed with anger, advancing slowly towards me and Misty. In his rage, he completely ignored Ethan, who was merely a few feet away from him on the ground.

"Don't come any closer," Misty looked at him and replied back with a brave tone in her voice, embracing me in her arms. "…I'm _warning _you…"

"_You_…warn _me_?" Julius scoffed, chuckling as if he found the idea humorous. "_Fool girl_…It seems that you have forgotten just _who _it was, that granted you your power…secondly, do you _truly_ think that I've taught you _every _technique there is to learn about Aura?"

"No matter how many techniques you've hidden from me…no matter how much more _powerful _you are than me…" Misty declared, "…you're _not _laying even a _finger _on my husband, again."

Julius stopped advancing, looking down emotionlessly before chuckling again, his shoulders going up and down with each low cackle. "…there is _much _you fail to understand…"

And with that, he telekinetically gripped Misty by the throat, causing her to hold her neck with both hands and gasp for air. He immediately followed up by pulling her towards him at a violent speed, before punching her mercilessly in the stomach with a fist that was charged with tremendous Aura energy, sending shockwaves through her entire body. Misty's head jerked back from the impact, her eyes closed and her face showing close to no emotion. Then, her unconscious body was hurled back at my feet, as I scrambled to see if she was breathing.

_She was alive._

_**Barely.**_

"_Misty_!" I cried madly, tears literally pouring down my face. "_Wake up!_"

"And now…" Julius grinned, turning slowly and looking down at Ethan. "As for you, little one…"

"_No_!" Dad cried, leaping to his feet and running towards Julius. With a sharp yank, the chain connecting the heavy iron cuffs around his wrists shattered like a thin layer of glass, as he punched Julius with a tremendous force on the cheek. Caught completely by surprise, Julius fell wide-eyed onto the ground, his long, flowing cape falling over his head. Dad then rushed over to me and Misty's side, helping me to get her up onto her feet, although the two of us had to support her as she was still unconscious.

Instinctively, Sabrina immediately used her psychic powers to pull Ethan away from Julius and into her own arms, over the heads of the unexpecting Shadow Pokémon. "There, there," she whispered, cradling Ethan in her arms. "Everything's gonna be alright now, Ethan…"

Dad and I rushed over to rejoin the others along with Misty, as Paul and Gary's Electivires covered our escape by stunning Julius' pursuing Pokémon with a powerful Thunder attack. "Misty!" Brock said, feeling her pulse on her wrist. "Thank God she's alive after that."

"Brock, guys, we have to get out of here. _Now_," I uttered, as we saw Julius slowly getting back up on his feet.

"But how? The way we came in from is still blocked off!" Tracey cried. He was right – the stone door behind us was still standing firmly.

"We'll have to _blast _our way through! Stand back!" James shouted, drawing an explosive device from under his uniform and sticking it onto the wall.

"Aaah! James! Not da R-detonator!" Meowth wailed, putting his paws over his ears. "Dat thing's louder den an Exploud's roar!"

"Shut up, Meowth! We have no _choice_!" Jessie yelled, giving Meowth a hard knuckle on the forehead.

"Arming now!" James declared, putting it on the massive rock formation and taking out a detonator button. "Get back, everyone!" he yelled, as we all ran away from the door, recalling all our heavier Pokémon in the process.

"Not so fast…" Julius said, stretching his arm up. All of a sudden, a dark-purple barrier began to appear on the door, as the explosive began to flicker rapidly.

"Oh no, you don't!" Sabrina cried, jutting her hand out at Julius and sending him against the wall with her psychic power, as the barrier immediately vanished.

With a push of James' finger, the door blew apart, and we all rushed out together with our Pokémon.

"The little _whore_…" I looked back just before leaving, to see Julius sniggering as he curled and straightened his fingers in amusement. "…she actually _hurt me_!"

Deciding not to waste any more time, I ran out with Misty in my arms and followed right behind the others, who were following Dad.

"Dra…" I could hear his Dragonite's heavy legs stomping towards Julius' direction, to receive orders from his master.

"_Pursue them. Let none survive."_

_

* * *

_

"This way! Hurry!" Dad cried, looking back and leading us on with a swift motion of his hand. I looked sideways at Sabrina, who still held Ethan in her arms while I held Misty in mine. She was still in a state of deep sleep, oblivious to what was going on around her.

"Where are we _going_?" Gary panted.

"My Pokémon are being kept just down this path. It's been many years, but I still remember exactly where they are! We need to get them out!" Dad called back.

"We're right behind you, Mr. Ketchum!" Brock puffed, running with all possible speed after him. After a minute or so, Dad finally stopped by a large door, this time made of rotting wood which was evidently suffering from what seemed like centuries of constant decay. Busting it down with a swift kick, he ran into the room as I followed behind him.

Inside were, sure enough, the Pokémon which appeared to be exactly his, from what Mom told me years ago: a Salamence, Dragonite, Alakazam, Magmortar, Tyranitar, and of course, his most long-time companion, Venusaur. All were ensnared in black cages, and their eyes were just as pure as Dad, who resisted the corrupting influence of this place for more than 22 years. After trying unsuccessfully to pry open the cages with the nearby tools lying around, he scampered on the ground on his knees, frantically feeling around for something.

"What are you looking for, dad?" I asked quickly.

"My Pokéballs…I'm sure they're around here…somewhere," he said in between coughs caused by the extremely dusty floor. "I remember Julius simply discarding them on the ground, after locking up my Pokémon and separating us. He never saw the need to destroy them."

"Bulbasaur, help us out!" I called him as he immediately scurried to my side. "Use your twin vines and help us look for the Pokéballs!"

"Bulba!" he nodded, getting to it right away. After a minute or two of searching, we finally found the Pokéballs, and Dad recalled all of his Pokémon.

"Come on! We have to go, now!" Paul yelled. We could all hear the thunderous roars of Julius' Tyranitar and Nidoking, terrifying us.

"You heard him, let's go!" James cried nervously, and we were off again. To our horror as we looked back, Julius' Nidoking, Tyranitar and Scizor were very much right behind us, barely a few dozen feet away as they bounded forward madly.

"They're onto us! Run for it!" Brock shouted. But after running several dozen more yards away, we stopped dead in our tracks, as we saw the Shadow Dragonite, Salamence and Garchomp emerge from the other side of the hallway. We were surrounded and trapped, with nowhere to go.

"This is it. We have to _fight _our way through, it seems," Sabrina said, holding Ethan more tightly.

Paul remained silent, instead looking to his left towards the wall in a curious manner. Leaning up against it, he spoke to us. "There's nothing behind this wall. If we can punch through here, we'll be out in no time!"

"Then quick! Let's blast through it, before…before…" James cowered, biting his nails.

"_One_ problem – there's no time for us all to get through, given that we're _surrounded_," Paul replied coolly, before looking down, closing his eyes. "…_you _guys go on ahead. I'll be fine…"

"_What_? _You can't be __**serious**__, Paul!" _I gasped. "If you don't make it out of here, then what's gonna happen to Dawn? Who'll take care of her?"

"That's of no importance in the immediate situation we're in, right now," Paul turned to me. "And it's not like we have much choice. _Go. __**Now.**__"_

I nodded reluctantly, grievously pained to leave Paul behind. Calling all of his Pokémon out for a last stand, Paul ordered them to form a perimeter around us, while he commanded his Ursaring to blow a hole through the wall with a Hammer Arm. We shielded our eyes from the dust created by the impact as the hole was blown, revealing the outside world once again. Our allies were visibly being pummelled, pushed back right up to the shoreline where they fought on desperately. Surprisingly, Mewtwo and Mew flew over to us in a short flash, protected by their blue and pink barriers which the Shadow Pokémon couldn't pierce through. All of us, except for Paul who stayed behind, leapt into the barriers, taking refuge in the safe force-field.

"Ash…I have one last request…" Paul said to me, causing me to look at him in sorrow. "Tell Dawn, that…I love her…"

I nodded, my lips concealing the clenched teeth inside as Mew and Mewtwo flew off towards the high ground where Agatha, Morty and Will were located. All of us – except for Mewtwo – turned around as a massive explosion erupted from where Paul was facing off against the Shadow Pokémon, our hearts sinking and tears falling down our faces. Wasting no time, Mewtwo and Mew proceeded towards the ledge with all possible speed, touching down shortly after.

"Ah! You've made it back!" Will smiled, before his positive expression faded into one of disappointment. "and…by the sight of all the Shadow Pokémon lingering around, you…_didn't take him out, did you_…"

"We just simply couldn't," Brock panted, "They were pretty much invincible and impervious to all our attacks while we were in there."

"Yes. The darkness of that place feeds their power constantly," Mewtwo said. "I regret that we couldn't have done more for you…"

"Hey!" I shouted, noticing Team Rocket's vessels, "What are _they _doing here?"

"Da team down at da technology and satellite department must've picked up da massive Pokémon readings!" Meowth noted.

"And you know what _that_ could only lead to…" Gary sighed. "Don't let a single eye stray from your Pokémon, everyone!"

"Oh, give it a break already!" Jessie groaned, "Do you _really _think that this is the right place and the right time to be trying to steal other people's Pokémon?"

"…good point," Brock noted.

"Well, at least we can be thankful that they're only shooting at _one _group, right now," Tracey exhaled in relief. "And luckily, it's _not _us!"

"I'm going back there…" I murmured, taking no heed of what was going on around me.

"Huh?" Brock, Gary, Tracey and Team Rocket looked at me in surprise, while the others kept on straight faces.

"I have to go back there," I said. "I have to stop him, otherwise this'll never end."

"Yes…you are correct," Mewtwo nodded. "However, I fear that…you may be going to your death."

"It's a risk that's worth taking, in _my _opinion," I declared. "I want to have the life I once knew, again, where I was living peacefully with Misty by my side. And the only way I'm going to get _that_, is to defeat him, once and for all."

"You're right, Ash. I'll come with you again," Brock placed his hand on my shoulder.

"No," I said, surprising him. "I have to do this alone, now. I can't get anyone else involved."

"Ash…_please_, think this over!" Sabrina cried, holding my arm tightly. "Don't rush into something from which you may never come back!"

"I've _made _my decision, Sabrina. I'm going," I said, walking towards the ledge. "Mewtwo, please help me get back there, again."

"Very well," he nodded, coming over to my side and reactivating his barrier. But just as he was about to take off, he was stopped as Latias came swooping in, stopping right in front of us.

"Latias…what are you doing?" I asked her. She replied with a series of cries, as I read her mind to see what she was getting at.

"It appears that _she _wants to take you there," Mewtwo said, before looking down at me. "Do you wish for that?"

Knowing just how headstrong Latias could be when she set her heart to do something, there was no refusing. "Yeah. I'll go with her."

"Very well," Mewtwo backed away, using his power to bestow a protective barrier around us. "I wish you good luck."

Nodding, Latias and I took off, zooming past friendly and hostile flying Pokémon alike, until we reached the very spot where the explosion took place.

* * *

Swooping through the broken portion of the wall, we looked left and right to make sure that the coast was clear. Paul and his Pokémon, nor that of Julius, were nowhere to be seen…

"_So…you have returned…__**alone**__…" _Julius' voice echoed throughout the hallway as he approached. "_…a foolish decision, indeed…"_

"This ends _now_, Julius," I spoke sternly. "I've had _enough_. And what have you done with Paul and his Pokémon?"

"Even _I _cannot answer that question for you, Chosen One," he replied, "For I do not know. But you may find comfort at the fact that…he has eliminated _all of my Pokémon…_" he growled in anger, his shadow looming towards me, reflected on the side walls. A few steps later, I could see him trudging towards me, as his body brimmed and surged with a red haze. "The impact of that explosion was far too great for any of them to survive, _even _with their powers being augmented by the dark Aura of this place. _But_, as you have said, it is time to _end this_, now…so let us begin…"

I concentrated my power, while Latias' eyes began to glow bright blue. Julius then suddenly began charging towards us, the swirling mist around his body giving the impression as if he were alight with a burning fire. Latias then unleashed her psychic attack on him, but Julius was moving forward with far too much momentum to be stopped: he knocked her out with a single punch on her face, sending her crumpling to the ground against the wall. He immediately attempted to follow up by pummelling me in the same manner, as I instinctively ducked and unleashed a sphere of Aura energy at him, sending him back to his original place.

"…quite impressive," he smirked, wiping trickles of dark blood from his lower lip while I checked on Latias. She regained her consciousness upon feeling my touch on her forehead, looking up at me with exhausted eyes.

"Sshh…just rest for now, Latias. Leave this to me," I soothed her, caressing her face before looking back at Julius. "It doesn't have to _be _this way, Julius. We can end this right here, without any more of this…_carnage_…"

"Yes…you're right, of course…" Julius sighed, looking down in what appeared to be remorse. "This can be ended…_with your final death_!" he suddenly sent another ball of corrupted Aura hurling my way, as I responded by launching an Aura sphere of my own, causing a moderate explosion as the two spheres collided.

"You _monster_!" I yelled. "I said I don't _want _to fight anymore! I want to go _home_, and live in _peace_! To go home and be with my wife! To go back and see my _child _grow up! Don't you even know about the importance of a _family _in your life?"

Suddenly, Julius' merciless expression softened, as he began to murmur to himself. "_My wife…my child…home…__**family**__…_"

Not knowing how to react, I chose to stay silent and watch his actions closely. Julius slowly looked up at me with teary eyes, opening his mouth to speak. "All that, I recall having the joy of possessing, many millennia ago. But now…I have _nothing_…my family is dead, by my own actions. My will is no longer my own. I _must _serve…my master…" he sighed, as he charged up another Aura attack, this one looking as if it would be the last, as I struggled to keep it at bay.

* * *

**(Julius' POV)**

_Celia…Elysa…I will never see you again…_

Such thoughts ran through my head as I continued my barrage of Aura attacks effortlessly, on the young boy who was struggling for dear life before me. The very ground around us shook and began to tear apart, but I couldn't stop…

I wanted death. I wanted to free myself from this wretched existence, and to finally find peace once more. But now, my power and my pride has at last consumed me wholly. I will never leave this place…never again be able to bask in the warmth of the sun, or to wake up beside my darling wife and see the morning sunrise together…never get to hold my sweet daughter again…

I closed my eyes, waiting to sense that the Chosen One's power had been completely spent, until…

"_Julius…" _a soothing, feminine voice called out to me from a place where I could not see. It has been millennia, but never for a single moment in my life did I forget the sound of her voice…

I called out to her, my eyes watering with disbelief and happiness as all around me turned white. _"…Celia?"_

"_Let go, my love…let go of everything, and return to us…we've missed you so…"_

"_I can't, Celia…my will… is not my own any longer…nor my life…"_

"_Don't fear his power any longer. You have __**me**__, darling…__**Trust**__ me, Julius, as you always have…trust in your heart…let go…"_ her voice spoke to me again, as I felt a warm touch on my hand. Not wanting to live a life of misery and servitude any longer, I ceased my attack, as the Chosen One's Aura sphere rippled throughout my body. The red haze and corrupted Aura that had consumed me for so long vanished entirely, leaving me lying against the wall, dying. But I could feel no pain…only tranquil peace, as the sound of Celia's voice echoed in my mind like the sweet melody of a harp.

"_Julius…" _she sobbed as I opened my eyes, seeing her beautiful face again for the first time in millennia. "…_I've missed you so much…_" she wrapped her arms around me tightly as we kissed.

"_Dada…" _called our child Elysa, walking over to me and fondling my face. Smiling, I took her in my arms and embraced her. Looking up, all of my Pokémon were now back to their original selves, smiling at me as they stood next to one another.

I looked back at the Chosen One, whispering softly as I departed for the afterlife with my family and Pokémon. "_…thank you…"_

_

* * *

_

**(Ash's POV)**

_It's over…_

Julius was gone; his body evaporated into the air, shortly after I defeated him. For a moment, I couldn't sworn I had seen pale white, transparent figures surround him, including a woman, a young girl and his Pokémon which we fought against, earlier…

"Latia~~s?" she called out to me, asking me if it was all over. I walked towards the gap in the wall and peered out, to see all the Shadow Pokémon either passing on by dissipating in a white mist, or coming back to their senses, dumbfounded by how they came to be where they were. Meanwhile, not a single attack was shot again from either side.

"It _is_, Latias. And thank God for that," I sighed, falling to my knees. "Let's go back," I said to her, helping her back up. She looked at me intently, as if she wanted me to immediately get on again. "Are you _sure_, Latias? You took a pretty major blow from that attack…"

"Tia~~s!" she smiled, rubbing her face against mine as if she was thanking me for caring about her.

"Hey, hey, cut it out! I'm married, remember?" I insisted. "Now, let's go and join the others again."

After a brief and gentle flight, we arrived back to be greeted by all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four, as well as the others. Mom and Dad were embracing each other, teary and too emotional to notice us as first as we flew in. Misty had finally regained consciousness, smiling weakly at me as Sabrina and Brock supported her. The pitch-black clouds in the sky were now beginning to recede, with tiny gaps forming to reveal weak rays of sunlight.

"Ash…honey, you're back…" Misty whimpered softly as I rushed over and held her, relieved to have her back again.

"Well done, son," Dad smiled at me, while Mom was hugging him and lad her head on his chest.

"Good _job_, Ash!" Tracey beamed. "It's finally over! Now we can all go back home, and-"

"_It's not over yet…_" Mewtwo looked up at the skies, which were now clouding up with a black misty which was even thicker and even more dangerous than before, as the rest of us all held our noses: the air was growing _toxic_.

"What's going on?" Gary choked, looking at the clouds which loomed over us.

"He is here…" Mewtwo exhaled with a sense of despair.

Then, all people and Pokémon alike looked up at the skies, to see a twisting spiral of dark mist and fire descending in the distance, growing larger and larger as it travelled through the air. After coming into the view of everyone, the figure stopped, and the mist around it dissipated in a great explosion which burst in every direction from its center. As the flames subsided, we looked again to see what _appeared _to be a likeness of Arceus, but with a body of heavy and black carapace, deadly thorns around its body, and two sharp, curved horns on its head, reminiscent of a devil. His eyes burned red with an intense hatred for all life, as he looked at us with a menacing glare.

"_Foolish mortals…" _it bellowed at us in a low, reverberating voice. _"You may have defeated my lowly minions, but you cannot begin to comprehend the gruesome fate that you have just chosen, by defying my will. __**I**__…am the great Apothes…"_

"Leave this place, and never return," Mewtwo responded in a warning tone. "Otherwise, I assure you, that today will be your _end_."

"_And what is this?" _Apothes mocked, _"__**You**__, Mewtwo, are not even a Legendary Pokémon by birthright. You are not even included in the hierarchy of Legendary Pokémon, established by Arceus. Your powers, nor the powers of any of you standing before me, are even __**worthy **__of contesting that of my own. And where, I might ask, is your __**beloved **__master, now? How is it that he cannot even summon up the courage to present himself here today, instead of residing in the dark void of space like the __**coward **__that he really is?"_

Sick and tired of the sound of his voice, Groudon launched a massive SolarBeam attack at Apothes. But his attack was swatted away like a fly by the red barrier that surrounded Apothes, which revealed itself just as the attack was about to make contact. Groudon grunted, angry that his attack did not obliterate its intended target.

"_Bumbling fool…"_ Apothes scoffed again. _"Let me instruct you in the way of __**true **__power…"_

His body starting to course with an intense fire, Apothes shot out countless small spheres of dark energy in all directions, devastating everything that stood in their path: several of Team Rocket's attack craft were sent falling through the air onto the sea or into rocks, and several Pokémon were annihilated by the dark pulses of energy which crashed into them. We were barely saved, as Mewtwo and Mew put up their blue and pink barriers around us just in time. In retaliation, Kyogre launched a Thunder attack at Apothes, distracting him and halting his barrage of dark energy, as Rayquaza, Lugia, Ho-oh, Mewtwo and Mew immediately took to the skies to engage him in close combat; the three flying Pokémon firing Dragonbreath, Aeroblast and Sacred Fire attacks at Apothes, while Mewtwo and Mew clashed against him in their destructive barriers. But despite their combined efforts, Apothes drove them back, seeming to be close to unaffected. In desperation, nearly all of our fliers – including the previously possessed former Shadow Pokémon who joined in, out of anger – flew up to assist the five Legendaries in the fight – Charizard voraciously shooting Flamethrower after Flamethrower attack – but to no avail. Apothes was completely out of their league.

"Our power…" Mewtwo started to pant, "…appears to have been bested…"

"_As you can see, your powers, even when combined, are no match for that of my own," _Apothes stated._ "Now, if you will cease your pathetic and useless attacks and kneel before me, I will consider letting you live…"_

"We cannot win this fight. Not by our own powers, Mewtwo," Lugia sighed.

"I know, friend," Mewtwo replied, "All of us are exhausted, and none possess the necessary power that will rival Apothes. Perhaps this _is _indeed a lost cause…"

"You can't give up!" I shouted up at them, catching all their attention. I then turned to Latias, who remained by my side. "We have to get over there, Latias."

"Ash, wait!" Misty cried, drawing tears. "_Please, don't leave me_!"

I ran over to her again, holding her tightly and kissing her deeply on the lips. "I have to, Mist. It's the only way to end all this. But I promise I'll be back. I _promise_."

After a moment of teary hesitation and thought, she nodded reluctantly, giving me another kiss before she backed away and stood next to Mom. I walked back to Latias, giving her a slight nod to tell her that I was ready to depart.

"Latia~s," she cried. I climbed onto her back, bracing myself as she lifted off through the air, flying until she was next to Mewtwo.

"What are you doing?" he asked me.

"Joining the fight," I replied straight.

"But you are badly wounded, exhausted and weary, Chosen One," Lugia looked at me. "Are you _sure_ that you can continue?"

I chose to not answer that question, instead drawing focus on the most pressing matter at hand. "What does The Prophecy say about how we can defeat him, Mewtwo?"

"It states that only through the combined powers of the Chosen One, who represents the collective will of mankind, and Arceus, who represents the collective will of all Pokémon, will the world be delivered from the darkness of Apothes, forever," he explained. "But Arceus is still nowhere to be seen-" he stopped, as a radiant white light emerged from the skies, shining down onto the seas from within the darkness of the clouds. As a shining sphere of bright light descended from the air, it pierced through and dissipated the dark clouds around it, as everyone present shielded their eyes from its glare. After the light died down, we saw, to our relief, Arceus and his three Guardians, Palkia, Dialga and Giratina hovering in the air, looking bitterly at Apothes.

"Apothes…" the sound of Arceus' deep voice surrounded us. "…it has been _too long_…"

Apothes looked with contempt at the newly-arrived Legendaries, before replying to Arceus' greeting snidely. _"Yes, it __**has**__, indeed…it's truly a pleasure to see you again…__**brother**__…"_

**(End of Chapter 16)**

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* * *

**

**A/N:** It's getting close…just three more chapters to go in this book! :D . I've already started to revise and tweak my plans for Book III, as well as the subsequent books up to Book VI.

Please leave your reviews. :)


	18. The Final Confrontation

**Chapter 17**

**The Final Confrontation**

"Depart this place, and never return, brother," Arceus warned his dark counterpart. "Or I will be forced to unleash my power upon you – even if it means destroying my own kin."

"_Don't fool yourself, Arceus," _Apothes mocked, _"Your powers are pathetic at best, as you see the need to hold back, to refrain from incurring harm upon others who surround you. But unlike you, my brother, I am wise. I see power for what it truly is – a means of exerting one's domination upon another, and something which was __**not **__designed to be restrained by any means."_

"I, and all the other guardians of the world, shall warn you again for the last time," Mewtwo declared. "Depart now, or face your own destruction. The Chosen One himself is present among us. Do you not know what that means?" Apothes looked at him in frustration. "It means that now, the will of mankind and Pokémon are able to unite through their common goal, and destroy you, once and for all. And in doing so, the Prophecy will be fulfilled."

"_Hmph. Pathetic fool…you couldn't destroy me, even if you __**tried**__," _Apothes puffed arrogantly. _"You are all utterly exhausted, and even if you should mount one final desperate and pointless attempt at stopping me, how can you expect to stand up against the power of a god?"_

"God or not, we will stop you, no matter what the cost," Lugia stated firmly.

Apothes looked visibly vexed as his eyes started to burn again with an intense fire. _"No more words. This ends…__**now**__."_

With no warning, Apothes unleashed another barrage of dark energy in all directions, as all our fliers dodged as best as they could. In the hopes of diverting Apothes' attention, Arceus charged directly at him in the air, switching quickly to his Spooky plate and thus changing his attributes to that of a Ghost type. The two creators of the world began to engage one another in a brutal melee with claws and talons. As soon as the Creation trio and all the others started to move to assist Arceus, Apothes broke away from Arceus before calling upon his dark magic to call forth what looked to be another swarm of Crobats. Charizard, eager for more battle, was the foremost Pokémon to soar towards them, firing an incinerating Fire Blast which hit several of the Crobat, dead center. We were shocked, however, to find out that the attack had very little, if any effect at all: although they appeared to have physical forms, when their bodies came into contact with our attacks, the hit area simply dissipated into black smoke, before regenerating again with a dark mist.

"Latias! We have to go and help Arceus bring him down! It's the only way!" I cried.

"Latia~~s!" she acknowledged, flying upwards and dodging the numerous ethereal Crobat on the way. They were now all around us, even causing problems for the Creation trio themselves. Team Rocket's fleet was also being assailed by several swarms of the newly-arising assailants.

"_Foolish mortal.." _Apothes grumbled, hurling a ball of shadow at us. Latias dodged instinctively, before being gripped by a vine-like talon which extended from Apothes' body. Shaking us violently in his inescapable grip, Apothes squeezed us with inhumane brutality, causing Latias to scream in pain before losing consciousness, as I barely managed to avoid doing the same. After Apothes finally flung us down towards the sea, I held tightly onto Latias' body, refusing to let her go. Closing my eyes, I waited for the moment when we would hit the surface of the sea, but it never came.

"I've got you, boy," Arceus' voice sounded, prompting me to open my eyes. He had caught the two of us on our back, and Latias was still in her Pokémon form. Repositioning myself in a seated position, I took care to not let her drop. Arceus then cast Refresh on her, bringing her back to her senses but not rendering her completely renewed: the fatigue she had experienced had taken its toll, as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "Change yourself into your human guise, young one," he instructed her. She nodded weakly, before doing as he commanded. The likeness of a sleeping Bianca was now resting in my arms, as I put her also in a seated position in front of me and secured her by placing my arm around the front of her waist. Latias leaned back onto me, placing her head on my shoulder and panting softly.

"It's okay, Latias," I whispered gently into her ear. "I _won't_ let go of you."

She nodded and managed a weak smile, before losing consciousness again and letting her head fall against my neck. I bit my lower lip and prayed, hoping that Misty wasn't watching us…

Arceus re-entered the fray, firing a great number of Swift stars in all directions towards the Shadow Crobats, as he launched himself towards Apothes whilst taking care to ensure that we didn't lose our balance on his back. He attacked Apothes with another series of attacks using sharp claws, all the while dodging and weaving away from his brother's attacks which were directed towards me and Latias.

"_It is __**futile**__, brother!" _Apothes shouted, _"Even the most powerful of Pokémon must fall victim to the merciless jaws of fatigue, and you are of no exception to that inevitability."_

"Silence!" Arceus bellowed furiously, as if he decided that he had had enough. His eyes glowed red as he jutted his head towards the air, firing a titanic yellow beam into the clouds which signaled the coming of his Judgment attack. And soon enough, meteors rained from the sky, but unlike the last time I witnessed it, were all concentrated upon Apothes alone, skyrocketing downwards and exploding as they crashed against the barrier he had put up around him. After the barrage subsided, a thick cloud of grey smoke obscured our vision. I placed my hands over Latias' face and mine, to shield ourselves from the smoke.

"Is he…gone?" I asked Arceus, who remained silent and unmoving, but warier than ever. The sounds of battle were still raving around us, implying that his Judgment did not come to pass. "I guess it didn't work out after all…"

The overwhelming masses of smoke clouds dissipated after a minute or so, revealing Apothes' unscathed form. _"Pathetic, brother," _he puffed, _"Your attacks hardly even left a dent on my barrier, let alone upon me. And if that pitiful assault is your best effort, I'm afraid it has been for naught. Now…allow me to demonstrate to you what is __**true power**__."_

Apothes then looked up at the sky, his eyes glowing a sinister reddish-yellow as he unleashed a black beam in a similar manner to Arceus, into the clouds. Thunder roared and lightning struck within the darkness of the sky, calling forth torrential rains which caused great discomfort for Charizard and Moltres. Then, four titanic lightning bolts plummeted into Apothes, sending a surge of electricity into him. The electric energy seemed to be converting itself into pure Shadow energy inside Apothes' body, as his body began to brim with dark flames. What appeared to be reminiscent to a deadly black scythe then formed from the back of his head, as he swooped towards us. Without another moment's thought, Arceus dropped us off of his back with a strong force, just as Apothes swooped in and swung his head around, swiping the scythe across Arceus' body. Arceus let out a painful cry, bleeding as he began to fall through the air but managed to halt, albeit suffering from excruciating pain. Meanwhile, Latias and I fell rapidly through the sky, as I clutched onto her tightly. Just as we were about to hit the water, we were saved as Charizard swooped right under us and caught us on his back.

"Thanks…buddy…" I whimpered, collecting Latias in my arms again.

"Char…" he grunted with a small smile, before soaring back up into the sky, doing his best to resist the pain caused by the pouring rain which belted him and his vision.

"Arceus! Are you alright?" I cried, after seeing the massive gash on his side.

"Yes…I am…for the time being…" he groaned. "Listen to me, Chosen One…there is one final way to defeat my brother, but…" he stopped.

"What? What is it? Tell me!" I looked at him.

"The cost may be catastrophic."

"Huh? Wha-" I gasped, confounded for words. "What do you mean? I'd do _anything _to stop this madness right here, right now!"

"Even if it means…sacrificing your own life?" he peered at me. My eyes and mouth widened in disbelief: I was never told that it might come to something as serious as this. "In order to join our powers together and stop this chaos, we will be forced to merge spiritually with one another, by concentrating our energy and our hearts. You must empty your mind of all thoughts, save that of stopping Apothes. And should you undertake this task, you may lose your life, if your spirit is overwhelmed during the process. It will take a heavy toll on both your mind and soul, possibly shattering your connection to the mortal world."

I lowered my head, pondering awhile about what may come as a result of my actions if I decided to go through with this: Mom and Dad would most definitely be shattered, not to mention Misty who would be left a widow to take care of our child. But deep down inside, I knew that if I refused, then everything I love would be inevitably destroyed.

"I'll do it," I declared, drawing a concerned gaze from Arceus. "I'd give my life gladly, if it meant saving my friends, my loved ones…_and Misty_…"

"Very well," he nodded, "Let us begin. Calm yourself: relieve your mind of all emotions and thoughts, apart from that of delivering this world from the dark influence of Apothes."

I did as he said, as my Aura energy propelled my body upwards, causing me to start hovering in the air. My body was surrounded by white orbs which shined brightly, dissipating the darkness around me. Charizard looked surprised as he backed away with Latias resting on his back. Apothes, furiously attempting to prevent our merging, send waves of dark spheres hurtling at us, which were intercepted by Mewtwo, Lugia and Ho-oh. The three legendary Pokémon fought back desperately to protect us until the merging was complete, even though they were on the brink of total exhaustion. As Arceus and I gradually drew closer, the intensity of the light increased dramatically, until at last…

_We were one._

An unbelievable amount of power seemed to course through my entire being, as I looked around my surroundings which were a blaze of white. After the eye-piercing light subsided, it was replaced by a golden glow: I looked down, to see that I was no longer in control of my own body, which was out of sight, but instead controlling a single entity, along with Arceus. Magnificent golden wings spread across either side of our body, which was now similar in appearance to a brilliant phoenix. The spectre-form Crobats were now completely banished by the light which even forced the clouds themselves to break, revealing a glorious full moon.

With an exasperated growl, Apothes launched himself at us again, hurling the three legendary Pokémon which protected us away with three giant lightning bolts. In the same manner as last time, he mercilessly brought down his overhead scythe down upon us, only to realize in horror that it shattered miserably as soon as it made contact. With a mighty blow of our right wing, Apothes was flung far off into the distance, shaking his head to recuperate his senses.

"_So what, brother? You've merged with a pitifully weak mortal. Do you think that such an insignificant being will grant you the power to banish me?" _he mocked.

"No, Apothes. I do not 'think' that it will," we both replied in unison, a loud and regal voice filling the air. "Rather, I _know _that you shall be banished forever, after this day."

Apothes' eyes displayed emotions of pure shock, before burning with a seething rage again as he fired another wave of dark energy spheres at us. The dark energy bombarded our body, but felt like nothing, as if we were being hit with mere drops of harmless rain: there wasn't even a need for any kind of barrier to protect us.

"_What? How can this be?" _Apothes jerked back.

"Your time is at an end, Apothes," we declared. "The time of your Judgment has finally come."

With a tremendous concentration of power, an unstoppable series of white beams shot out from every inch of our body, jutting towards the shocked Apothes. In a last-ditch attempt, he fired a dark ray of energy similar in appearance to a Hyper Beam, but it proved to be futile: our attack absorbed his corrupted energy and drove it back, before piercing through his body like a thousand arrows with power which was tenfold that of Apothes.

His physical form destroyed and utterly crushed, Apothes' voice could barely be heard in the distance, almost as if he was ascending into the skies. _"Do not think that you have truly defeated me, Chosen One…I will return…sooner than you know it…"_

And as I witnessed the last of Apothes' body dissipate, the resulting explosion overwhelmed me, as my vision and the world around me turned to white…

* * *

"Ash! Ash! Please, _open your eyes_!" I heard a familiar voice from amidst the white nothingness that surrounded me.

"Mi…Misty?" I whimpered. "I…I feel…so weak…"

"_Please, Ash! Open your eyes for me!" _her voice cried again, beginning to sob.

"I…can't, Misty…I'm all spent…"

"_Ash! He's…he's not waking up! What am I to do? I…can't live without him…"_ she wept.

"_Chosen One," _another familiar voice called out. I looked around, but saw nothing but white, as my hope began to fade.

"Who…who's there?" I looked around, running out of breath.

"_It is I. Julius,_" he replied. _"You have restored me to the person who I once was, and rekindled me with my family. For that, I am ever grateful."_

"What…what are you…_why _are you…here?"

"_To save you. Your mind and soul are slowly passing into the afterlife, after the ordeal you had faced," _Julius' figure came into my view as he walked over and crouched by my side. Behind him was a woman – presumably his wife – holding a small child as she stood alongside Julius' Pokémon in their restored forms.

"I'm…it's too late, Julius…" I sighed, "I'm starting to move on. There's no going back…"

"_Do not lose hope, Chosen One," _the woman responded. _"My husband will soon heal you."_

"_Relax yourself, and take deep breaths," _Julius told me. _"I will heal you now."_

With that, Julius pressed his hands against my forehead and heart, using his power to heal my body and spirit. All at once, I suddenly felt rejuvenated and full of life. I sat up, looking at my hands to see that the color had been restored to them, before turning my head to Julius.

"_Go, now. Your beloved wife is waiting for you, and will be most delighted to see you alive," _Julius smiled as he walked back to his wife and held her warmly.

"How…how did you do that?" I asked.

"_I had used what was the last of the Aura energy lingering within my soul. With this, I can at last take peace in the afterlife, with no regrets as to what I could have done further in this world," _he replied.

"But…right before I lost consciousness, Apothes said something…" I spoke. "He told me, that I shouldn't believe that we had 'truly defeated him', and that he would one day return."

Julius' expression darkened with concern. _"He may be right, Chosen One. Apothes has the power to possess mortals, by locking within them a small fraction of his corruptive power. They may seem like normal people at first, but given time, the effects may prove to be devastating…"_

"What can I do about it, then?"

"_My heart breaks to say this to you," _Julius looked down, _"But you have little choice, other than to wait. Minions of Apothes act silently and discretely at first, rendering them nigh undetectable, until at last they gain the power and confidence to commit their terrible deeds on a much wider scale."_

I sighed heavily. The last thing I wanted, was another chaotic event like the one which just passed. "Alright, Julius. I understand," I nodded. "Well, I wish you the best, and that you enjoy the peace you've just gained."

Julius smiled again, before fading away with his family.

* * *

"_Ash…I'm begging you…" _I could feel Misty's arms around me as she cried tears of sorrow which fell onto my face. _"Please don't leave me alone…"_

"…hi, Misty," I smiled weakly, opening my eyes.

"A-Ash?" she opened her eyes and looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. "You're…you're alive!" she smiled, wrapping her arms around my back.

"Heh. Calm down, Misty! This isn't Pokémon Tower! Everybody's probably watching us, y'know!" I chuckled.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu beamed, leaping onto my chest after Misty had drawn herself back.

"Hey there, buddy!" I smiled. "You didn't think that I had really gone, did ya?"

"Oh, honey, thank goodness you're awake!" Mom cried, hugging me and kissing my cheeks intensely. "I don't know what I would've done if you had…had…"

"Calm down, my love," Dad calmed her with a gentle hand on the shoulder. "He's pulled through, but you don't want to squeeze the life out of him!"

Mom smiled as she let go, before standing back up and holding hands with Dad. She then leaned in, as the two of them locked lips in a passionate kiss. Misty, overcome with joy, held my back as she kissed me deeply, her tears wetting my cheek.

"Do they _really _have to be like that right now?" Bugsy sighed.

"Well, you can't blame them," Brock smiled with crossed arms. "I mean, it's been two years since Ash and Misty saw each other, and for Ash's parents, more than 22 years!"

"…good point…" Bugsy commented.

"Daddy!" Ethan cried out from Sabrina's arms. Instinctively, I lifted Misty up and placed her on the ground on her feet, before rushing over to hold my baby again. Everyone looked at me holding Ethan, smiling. After holding him up in the air and spinning around, I caught sight of Team Rocket's fleet starting to fly away to the east.

"Hey! They're all leaving!" Brock pointed. "I thought they'd try to nab some Pokémon, now that it's all over!"

"They've probably taken too much damage themselves in the fight, to try anything," Sabrina guessed. "Not to mention the fact that all the Legendary Pokémon are gathered and would surely demolish them if they _did_."

"Goodbye…Gio…" Mom whispered, resting her head against Dad's chest.

Our attention was then turned to Arceus, who also reverted back into his original form, as he spoke to us.

"_Chosen One," _he said, "_You have defeated Apothes, and thus saved this world from destruction. You have also fulfilled the Prophecy which I had passed on to my prophets, eons past. Your quest is now finished, and you may now go and live a life of peace."_

"But Apothes…" I replied. "Apothes said that he'd be back! What would happen then?"

"_Do not fear him any longer. His power is spent, and he is now cowering in the unknown. When the day arrives, you shall defeat him, Chosen One. I now leave everything…to you…"_

'_Well, that's very assuring,' _I thought, before giving Arceus a confident nod.

"_And now, I shall take my place, wandering through the realms of space as I have always done. I bid you farewell, Chosen One. But first…there are others who wish to say goodbye to you," _Arceus said, turning his head to them. Mewtwo and Mew floated over to me; Mewtwo landing on his feet on the ground, while Mew chose to simply fly about playfully around me.

"I must go now, and follow Arceus into the depths of space. My purpose has been fulfilled, and…" Mewtwo stated. "I am no longer needed in Mt. Quena, for all of my clones have passed on."

"I understand, Mewtwo," I responded, laying a hand on his arm. "Take care."

Nodding, Mewtwo flew up into the air, taking his place beside Arceus and his guardians.

"Mew~" the cute little psychic Pokémon cooed as he rubbed his cheek again mine. He was shortly joined by the Celebi I had befriended, many years ago.

"I'll miss the two of you, as well," I smiled. "Goodbye."

Mew joined Mewtwo beside Arceus, while Celebi flew over to Professor Oak.

"Celebi…" he whimpered in sadness.

"I'll miss you too, my old friend," the Professor said softly. "I will miss you dearly, as well. Farewell, now," he held his hand up into the air, as Celebi released his soft hold on his hand, flying away to return to his forest, while the rest of the other Celebi returned to their rightful places in time.

Jirachi then came up to me and gave me a hug. "Goodbye, Jirachi. And why don't you maybe pay Max a visit before you go back? I'm sure he'd love to see you again," I smiled, as the small Pokémon flew away.

After bidding farewell to all the other legendary Pokémon I had befriended during my journey, it finally came down to the final one: Latias. Upon descending onto the ground, she changed into her human form, looking down in dejection as she began to cry.

"Latias…I…" I whispered, before she ran up to me and embraced me in another emotional hug. I could've sworn that I heard Misty's gasp…

After awhile, Latias broke our hug as she looked with teary eyes into mine. She moved her mouth to speak, but couldn't. I was too emotionally moved, that I couldn't even try to read her thoughts.

"_It appears that she is much more attached to humans than the rest of us," _Arceus observed, looking at Latias who slowly peered up at him sadly. Arceus then closed his eyes, before speaking again. _"Very well, Latias. As you have shown your love for humankind, I shall grant you your most desired wish."_

Arceus' forehead began to glow, as Latias' body began to levitate in midair, surrounded by a shining mist of energy. She looked surprised and fearful at first, but soon embraced the power which took over her. Then, descending onto the ground, she fell to her knees, whimpering before she looked up at me again. "A…Ash?" she said. _She could speak…_

"La…Latias? You can talk now?" I gasped. All of a sudden, she ran back towards me and hugged me, caressing my face.

"Ash, I…" she whispered. "…I love you. More than anything in this entire world; even more than Alto Mare, and Bianca and Lorenzo. Ever since you left, I missed you so much, and wanted to cry out to you that I love you with all my heart and soul, but…I just couldn't…" she cried into my shoulder.

"I understand, Latias," I replied, holding her by the shoulders and looking into her eyes, "I can tell exactly how much you love me, and you don't have to say it for me to know. But I've already told you, haven't I? I'm have a wife and child, and I can't abandon either of them…even if I wasn't married, I'm a human, and well…you're a Pokémon. It wouldn't have worked between us."

Latias looked utterly heartbroken as her brown eyes flooded with tears. Caressing my face gently, she whispered to me. "Kiss me, Ash…"

"What?"

"Kiss me…just once…" she asked, slowly leaning in. I looked behind me with concern at Misty, whose body froze with shock and disbelief, before she braved a reassuring smile. Nodding to her, I turned back to Latias, giving her the kiss she desired. Then, as we broke contact, Latias changed back into her Pokémon form, flying away back to Alto Mare, but not before giving me one last loving look with sadness.

"Goodbye…Latias…" I exhaled, as the wind seemed to carry my words to her.

"With this, we must also depart," Arceus said to me. "Goodbye, Chosen One. May our paths cross again, should fate require it."

I nodded and smiled, as Arceus took to the skies and disappeared beyond the clouds, followed by his guardians, as well as Mew and Mewtwo. Looking around, we could see the devastation and carnage of the battle that was, firsthand. Many Pokémon lay dead on both the beach and the water. My heart sank as I saw the bodies of all of my Tauros, save for the one which accompanied me to Julius' former lair. Gary also had a saddened look on his face, having lost his Fearow among a few others. Some of the trainers who had joined in the fight had even lost their lives, along with all of their Pokémon; their bodies were searched for and collected, and their families were soon to be given the grievous news that their loved ones were not coming back. Out of the over-10000 strong total force we initially had, less than half of that now remained.

"Well, I guess it's time to go now. Come on, guys – let's go home," Brock turned his back, taking Sabrina's hand after she had handed Ethan back to Misty. We began to walk back to Pallet Town together, with all our Pokémon either kept resting in their Pokéballs or following behind us. The members of the Elite Four and Gym Leaders of both Kanto and Johto went their own ways, except for Brock and Sabrina who came with us. I looked sideways at Misty, who had a sorrowful look on her face.

"Misty, I…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Don't worry, Ash…I know what you're gonna say…" Misty gave a small smile. "It's alright. _Truly_. We both know that Latias is a Pokémon, and after all, Pokémon can't fully understand human emotions, attachments and bonds."

"Pikachupi~~!" Pikachu held his paws against his sides in protest.

"Oh, not you, Pikachu! You're as good as one of us!" she joked, as we all grinned.

"Thanks, honey. I'm grateful that you understand," I smiled, as Misty gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Jess, I've been thinking…" James murmured, his head down as we continued to stroll down the track.

"Yeah? What is it, James?" she replied softly.

"I think I'll do it," he stopped walking, as did the rest of us.

"Do…what?" Jessie asked, holding his hand.

"I'm going to tell my parents that I want to marry you."

"You…you _will_?" Jessie stammered, her eyes widening with hope.

"Yes. I'm tired of running away, and never facing them. I want to look at them in the eyes and say to them, 'this is the woman whom I love, and want to spend the rest of my life with! I'm tired of running. I'm tired of turning my back on my fears. I don't care about Jessiebelle. I only care about Jessie, whom I'd happily spend the rest of my life with, regardless of whether it's filled with riches or poverty!'" he declared.

"You…you'll do that…for me?" Jessie touched his face with her bare hand, after removing her gloves.

"Yes," James replied, taking a knee and looking at her in the eyes. "I don't have a ring or anything at this point in time, but…Jessica Musashi…_will you marry me_?"

Jessie covered her mouth with her free left hand, peering down with disbelief at the man who was asking for her hand in marriage. Then, breaking down into tears, she fell to the ground to meet his eye level, wrapping her arms around him and placing her cheek on his. "Y…yes…I will…"

The rest of us smiled, happy for the two lovers as Meowth started to cry bucketloads of tears. "Meowth…dats…right…" he sobbed.

"So…what does this mean? If you two are gonna live with each other and settle down, then does that mean…you'll stop chasing after me and Pikachu?" I asked. Jessie looked at me and closed her eyes, smiling and chuckling whilst she shook her head. All at once, my hope died down and my heart sank, as she spoke again.

"Of _course_! You saved my life back there, didn't you, Ash?" she called me surprisingly by my name again. "It's the _least _we could do! And to tell you the truth, after we marry, I don't know if I even wanna _be _a Rocket anymore! And the very idea of trying to break into a married couple's house to steal their Pokémon is simply absurd and rude, even for us!"

"Really, Jess? You want to quit being part of Team Rocket?" James looked at her in surprise.

"Duh, James! Do you _really _think I'd be able to chase after people's Pokémon while I have a baby?" she winked.

"Huh? Baby?" James' face went blue.

"I told you several times over the last few years, didn't I?" Jessie smiled as she pinched his cheek. "I want to have a child! To be a _mother_!"

"Well, this is _new_," James murmured. "Looks like we'll _really _need the mansion now!"

We all laughed as we started walking again in pairs, save for Professor Oak, Gary and Tracey. "Hey Tracey, you're still single, right?" Misty asked him.

"Huh? _Me_?" Tracey shuddered, "Umm…I guess so…_why_?"

"You're not gonna stay single _forever_, are you?" she smiled.

"To be honest with you, Misty, I seriously don't know…" his voice faded away in thought.

"Oh, come on! I've seen the way you and Daisy look at each other when you come over to the gym! You'd be perfect for each other!" Misty elbowed him teasingly on the side. "My sister's still not even married!"

"Ahehehe….I…_guess _I could give her a call sometime," Tracey rubbed the back of his head.

I yawned, thinking of nothing else but lying down in a warm, soft bed, with-

'_Ash! That's such a __**dirty **__thing to think about! I know that I've just come back and you've missed having me by your side, but…__**still**__!' _Misty's voice berated me in my head.

"_Huh? Mist?' _I looked at her, confused. Misty had an angry frown on her face as she looked back at me, almost as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. Freaky…

'_That's __**right**__, Mr. hormone-driven Pokémon Master, I can __**tell **__what you're thinking!" _she cried again in my mind.

"_Mist? How'd you…how can you…?' _I shuddered.

'_I don't know clearly for myself, Ash. Somehow…I've retained my powers of Aura,' _she answered. '_And you know what __**that **__means! No more dirty thoughts, without me knowing about them!'_

'_Awww, but Mist! Come on – gimme a break! It's been what…__**two**__ years since I saw you! You have __**no**__ idea how much I missed you, and your-'_

'_Umm…pardon the intrusion, guys, but…' _Sabrina cut into our mental conversation. _'Your thoughts are as unsubtle as Haunter's wild jokes, and…it's really hard to __**not **__notice…'_

'_Huh? Sabrina? You too?' _I looked at her. Brock was clearly oblivious as to what was going on around him, as he continued to look forward.

"_Err…never mind, actually,' _she quickly looked forward again, laying her head on Brock's shoulder. _'Just…try not to go overboard with that imagination of yours, okay, Ash?'_

'_Gee, thanks a lot,' _I answered, giving a sigh. _'First I'm not allowed to think of what I want in peace, and now I have to stop thinking __**altogether**__…"_

"Is there a problem, honey?" Mom looked back at me from the front.

"Huh? Oh…no-nothing," I insisted. "I guess I'm just rather tired and uncomfortable, after today."

"Heh. You think _you're _uncomfortable?" Misty mocked, pulling at her black robes. "Try wearing this…_thing_ that I'm wearing! I swear, I'm changing out of this the moment I have the chance, and then I'm gonna _burn _it!"

"Don't worry, Mist," I chuckled, "I'll give you a spare pair of jeans and a t-shirt when we get back home."

"_That's _reassuring," she sarcastically joked. "This might as well be the first time ever, that I wear _your _clothes, for a change!"

"First you're exchanging clothes, and what next?" Gary smirked. "I hope that the two of you aren't thinking about exchanging-"

"_Gary!_" we both yelled in unison, not wanting to hear the end of it.

"Honey?" Mom looked up at Dad, smiling.

"Yes, darling?" he kissed her forehead.

"I can't wait for you to come back home with me. It's been so long…"

"You've no idea how long I've waited to be reunited with you, Delia," Dad grinned. "Now we can finally live together, just as we promised each other as we left the Hoenn region, so many years ago."

"Yes, but first thing's first!" Mom smiled. "I'm going to give you a nice, hot bath, and-"

"A clean change of underwear. Yes, I know, my love," Dad chuckled, rubbing his nose against Mom's, as we all continued down towards Pallet Town.

* * *

**(Later)**

"Well, here we are! Come in, everyone!" Mom smiled, opening the door of our house with a key. She and Dad entered first, followed by the rest of us.

"Mime! Mr. Mime!" our house-tender cheerfully greeted us, overjoyed that we were all safe.

"Hi, Mimey!" Misty waved at him delicately with her fingers.

"Have a seat, and make yourselves comfortable," Mom led us into the living room. "I'll make everyone some tea. Oh, and you're welcome if you'd like to stay over for the night!"

"Wow! Dank you very much!" Meowth said, as Jessie and James sighed in relief and exhaustion. "Nyaaargh! It feels so _good _to be on a nice, comfy sofa again!" he sighed with pleasure, jumping sinking into the middle of the three-seater as Jessie and James sat on either side of him. Sabrina, Brock and Tracey sat on the opposite three-seater, while Professor Oak and Gary each sat on single sofa chairs which were facing opposite each other across the coffee table.

"Meowth! Watch your claws!" Jessie scolded him as he spread his arms out wide, unaware that he hadn't retracted his claws.

"Oops! My bad," he chuckled, drawing them in straight away.

"Honey, I'll be in the bathroom. Call me if you need me!" Dad called out to Mom as he prepared to ascend the stairs.

"Just hang on and don't lock the door, honey! I'll be right up after making tea!" Mom responded. Dad grinned and went up the stairs.

"You wanna go change now, Mist?" I asked her.

"Hell, yeah," she exhaled as I smiled.

"Mom, I'm gonna take Misty up to my room and give her a change of clothes. Is that alright?" I called out to her in the kitchen.

"Sure, honey!" she called back as we went into my room.

"I hope your clothes are comfortable, Ash," Misty grinned.

"Oh, they _are_," I chuckling. "But for _you_, I have no telling whether they _will _be, or not."

"…you're such an _idiot_…" she grinned, elbowing me softly on the side and kissing me on the cheek.

* * *

**(Meanwhile…)**

**(Giovanni's POV)**

Pathetic fools…they had forgot to bring the proper heavy equipment to capture all the Pokémon. But although the opportunity seemed to be golden, I knew that we would have been utterly destroyed by the combined powers of all the Legendary Pokémon, had we tried. As I departed in my flagship, never for one second did my eyes cease looking at the one woman whom I have always loved. My gaze narrowed and my heart began to boil as I saw her in the arms of my former friend and rival, whom I had falsely thought to have died a long time ago.

But I am, above all else, a rationalist and a realist. I cannot allow such thoughts of past events disturb me in my quest for power and influence. It is time to move on…

"We're settings course for HQ now, boss!" Domino informed me from the control room.

"Very good, Domino," I replied. "Alert the satellite department at HQ, and tell them to be on the lookout for any stray Pokémon which may wander around the vicinity, attempting to return to their own habitats. We may be able to catch some prey, yet."

"Got it," she nodded, heading back into the control room.

As I walked with my hands joined around my back to my private quarters, my mind grew more and more focused upon a single, feline Pokémon among the Legendaries. Something about him seemed so…familiar…as if he was a forgotten memory of mine. His psychic powers were phenomenal, allowing him to brush aside numerous enemies with the greatest of ease.

But I refuse to engage in such a redundant period of unnecessary thought. My only thoughts are future-bound. One day, when Team Rocket realizes its true potential, _then _shall my lifelong dreams of domination be fulfilled. And when the time comes, I shall pass it all down to my son, Silver.

Glory…power…untold wealth…

…Delia…

_It will all be mine…_

_

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_

**(Ash's POV)**

We returned to the living room later; Misty wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that I lent her. After a few more minutes, Mom and Dad came down together, with Dad in a fresh change of clothes and his black hair groomed and neat again. We began to talk about what each of us would do from here, until we came back to the topic that had been at the back of all our minds…

"You know, I wonder how Dawn will take the news that…_you know_…" I sighed.

"Even if it'll break her heart to find out, I think we should tell her," Brock said.

"Go on, Ash. You're the only one who can tell her about it. It's better that you tell her now, rather than have her being nervous and fearful throughout the entire night," Sabrina added.

"You're right, guys," I nodded. "I'll go and give her a call right now."

I walked into the kitchen and dining area, where the video phone was located against a wall. My hand shaking nervously, I picked up the phone and dialed the number for the Goldenrod City Pokémon Center, after finding it in the directory list.

"Hello? Goldenrod Pokémon Center, here. Are you in need of any assistance?" a Nurse Joy's delicate voice replied as her face came up on the screen.

"Hi. I'm looking for a trainer called Dawn Hikari. Is she there?" I asked.

"Dawn Hikari? One moment, please," her eyes went down as she began to type in Dawn's name into the database. "Yes, indeed, she is! Would you like me to patch you through to her?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

"Alright. One moment, please," Nurse Joy said as the screen went temporarily blank. After a few seconds of waiting, the screen flashed up again, showing Dawn's face. Her hair was down and untied, and she was not wearing her hat. Her eyes looked at me attentively and her figure seemed to shake, as she nervously spoke to me.

"Ash? Ash, is that you?" she whimpered with fear and concern.

"Yeah, Dawn, it's me," I managed a smile. "Are you alright?"

"Thank God you're alright, Ash…I heard that the attack took place so close to your home in the Seafoam Islands, as well as Pallet Town…" she exhaled. "Is everyone else alright?"

"Uhh…_yeah_," I answered unconfidently. "All of us are fine," I continued, as Dawn began to sit back with a slightly calmer look on her face. "Except…"

She tensed up again, placing her hand on the side of the screen. "Except _what_, Ash? What happened?"

"Paul…he's…uhh…"

Dawn collapsed into her chair, placing her right hand over her mouth and shaking her head constantly from side to side, her eyes welling up with tears.

"What's happened to him? _Where is he_?" she cried.

"…he's gone, Dawn. Paul's not coming back…" I broke it to her. Dawn's body completely froze in disbelief, in much the same way I did when I was told that Misty had gone missing while we were at sea, two years ago. Tears began to race down her eyes and onto the desk below, before she finally broke down sobbing into her hands, placing her head on the top of the desk.

"_This can't be…Paul…I need him…he promised…to always be there, to protect me…"_ she sobbed. I looked at her with heartfelt sympathy, not knowing what to say.

"Dawn…I…" I murmured. "…is there…anything I can do?"

"_I can't believe this…I'm going to be all alone, raising a child without a husband…"_

"Ch…child?"

She raised her head from her hands, looking at me with tearful eyes of pure sorrow. "…_I'm __**pregnant**__, Ash…I'm __**pregnant**__,__with Paul's child…"_

**(End of Chapter 17)**

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**A/N:** Well, this is pretty much the end for Book II. The Epilogue chapter will basically act as a precursor to the events of Book III (_and_ Book IV to a moderate degree). It'll be up in a flash as it's quite short, probably no more than 1000 words, seeing as all the action's finished.

Although Arceus' physiology doesn't really include any 'claws', after seeing on Bulbapedia that he can use moves like Dragon Claw, I thought that maybe he uses some kind of power to form claws with energy. :S

Latias will also play quite a major role in my subsequent Books, but I won't give any spoilers beyond that at this point in time.

Please leave your reviews. : )


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**(Ash's recount of the events which followed)**

An hour or so after the battle ended, Julius' former lair submerged into the water, never to be seen again by man or Pokémon alike, beneath the sea floor. The joy gained from the knowledge that the world was now safe and free from the destructive ambitions of Apothes came at a great cost, with funerals for both Pokémon and trainers held all across Kanto and Johto.

After hearing from Dawn that she was pregnant with Paul's child, I promptly went over to the Goldenrod City Pokémon Center on Charizard and brought her back with me to Pallet Town. She just couldn't stop crying. As we arrived back, Mom immediately sought to comfort her, empathizing with her situation of having lost her fiancée. After an hour or so of consolation and support from Mom, Dawn finally managed to compose herself, and made a vow to raise Paul's child with love and care, and to let him or her know about her father when the time was right.

Professor Oak, Gary and Tracey returned to the lab with their Pokémon after supper, while Misty, Brock, Sabrina, Dawn, Team Rocket and I stayed at Mom's house; Dawn's initial suspicion and distrust for Team Rocket disappearing as I explained to her the new circumstances that they brought about with their life-changing decision. The next morning, a funeral service was held for all of our Pokémon who had died in the battle, as well as a memorial for Paul. Although I had caught many of them, my heart broke as I saw each and every one of my 29 Tauros who had lost their lives in the battle lowered in Pokémon coffins, buried near Professor Oak's lab. The single surviving Tauros which stood by me looked on in grief, saddened by the loss of his herd. Similar services were also held for Gary's Pokémon who had perished in the fight.

Afterwards, we all went our separate ways after parting with each other; Brock to Pewter Town to check on his family, Sabrina back to the Saffron and Team Rocket left for James' parents' mansion while Misty and I chose to stay with Mom and Dad. Ethan took a great liking to both my parents, and especially Mom. An emotional phone conversation followed, as Misty's sisters rang our house, to find out that Misty was alive and well. After spending two weeks in my parents' home, Misty and I departed to visit her sisters at Cerulean City, spending two weeks there also, before returning to our home in the Seafoam Islands, stopping by to visit Brock twice on the way.

Surprisingly, James' parents actually allowed him to go ahead with his marriage to Jessie: Jessiebelle, having being fed up of waiting for James to return, left for a faraway destination years ago, and quickly married a multi-millionaire corporate owner. As a result, Jessie, James and Meowth began to live a brand new life, hanging up their Team Rocket uniforms – and with it, their association to the criminal enterprise and their former boss Giovanni – for good. Jessie and James' private wedding ceremony was held two months later in the gardens of their estate, as Misty, Brock, Sabrina, Tracey, the Oaks, Mom and Dad and I were invited as guests and witnesses. During the wedding ceremony, however, Misty felt her stomach in an eerie manner, drawing my attention. Hours later, after an ultrasound, we found out that she was pregnant again, this time a girl.

The month that followed after Jessie and James' wedding was an eventful one: the two had announced to us that Jessie was now pregnant with twins, and Sabrina had finally decided to move in with Brock in Pewter City, leaving the leadership of the Saffron City Gym to Tate. Tate, now fully trained to act as a separate Gym Leader from his twin sister Liza, became the full-time Gym Leader of Saffron after moving from the Hoenn region, and soon developed a reputation for being a psychic trainer who was as powerful as Sabrina.

Sabrina quickly became a dearly beloved, and loving sister figure to all of Brock's siblings, and a joy around the house for Flint and Lola. Haunter was now having the time of his life playing with Ludicolo and entertaining the children of the household, along with her Alakazam. It wasn't long before Brock decided to pop the question to her, to which she emphatically and joyfully accepted as she wrapped her arms around him.

Meanwhile, from the Hoenn region, we heard from May that Drew had finally proposed to her, presenting her with a beautiful diamond ring, and of course, a trademark red rose. She gladly accepted his proposal with teary eyes, and the two later moved together into a house in Lilycove City, taking part in so many Contests to the point where I've seriously lost count. Mom, overjoyed for May, gave her and Drew her heartfelt congratulations. It wasn't before too by her personal habit and her love for the Pokémon she saw often during her journey throughout Hoenn with Dad, that Mom enthusiastically asked May whether or not she had caught a Zigzagoon.

Another six months passed before Dawn finally gave birth to a baby boy, whom she named Henry, in Twinleaf Town. With the coming of the New Year, Misty also gave birth to our second child whom we named Claire, after the kind-hearted Nurse Joy who had nursed Pikachu back to health after my title-winning battle against Lance, years ago. May sent us numerous gifts of baby clothes for Claire along with a card from her and Drew, as well as a mysterious Pokéball which was wrapped in purple gift wrapping. Upon unwrapping it and releasing the Pokémon inside, we were pleasantly surprised to see a cute baby Zigzagoon, which Misty and I gave to Mom. Two weeks later, Jessie gave birth to twins; a boy and a girl, whom she and James named Demetry and Belle. Sabrina was also one-month pregnant now, with her and Brock's wedding scheduled for the coming month. All our families were now closer than ever, as we paid each other visits numerous times over the year.

However, our thoughts still remained with Dawn, who would now be undertaking one of the most difficult hardships there is to face: being a single mother. Driven with the determination to do the best she could to raise her child, she would continue living with her mother, Johanna, for several more years, until the time came when she decided it was time for her to move out.

We could only hope that her emotional scars would heal themselves, in the years that followed…

* * *

**(The day after the great battle, at dusk)**

**(3****rd****-person narrative)**

The waves rolled gently into the sandy beach of Vermillion City, splashing against the exhausted and wounded body of a trainer who could barely stand as he crawled his way onto the sand. Right behind him were a Torterra and an Ursaring, who had risked life and limb to escape the uncompromising battlefield with their trainer, doing their utmost best to swim despite their types. Further behind him followed the rest of his Pokémon, similarly physically spent as they trudged onto the beach after him.

Summoning up all of the remaining energy that he had, Paul stood up with much fragility, his knees shaking and threatening to buckle due to fatigue. He had no idea how on earth he survived such an explosion: he was in the thick of battle alongside his Pokémon for a moment, and the very next instance, he had lost all consciousness as the explosion engulfed his surroundings.

But he continued on. He wanted nothing else than to be with his beloved fiancée again, and to care for her for the rest of their days.

"_Wait… just a little…longer, Dawn…I shall return to you…soon…"_ he hoarsely exhaled, limping in the direction of the Pokémon Center which stood about a hundred feet away.

"Tor~?" his first and most loyal Pokémon looked up at him, asking if he was alright.

"I'm fine, Torterra," Paul smiled weakly, "It's nothing."

He continued to walk for a couple more steps, before a piercing pain in his chest caused him to wince and collapse onto his knees, clutching his body. After a few excruciating seconds, the pain subsided, and deciding that it was just the post-battle stress taking effect on his body, Paul got back on to his feet and continued on to the Pokémon Center. Little did he know, that he was now the new host of a sinister and dark being.

"_You are a __**fool**__, Chosen One…did you really think that I'd perish so easily? Your meager power was not enough for you to sense that I had been watching from afar, observing you as you battled against my former underling, Julius. During that time, I had secretly sealed a dormant portion of my soul and power within your friend, who shall in time, become your greatest nemesis. I thought I would not be mistaken when I believed that he would survive his encounter with Julius' servants, and indeed, I was right in my judgment. __**Cherish **__all that is important to you in your life now, Chosen One. For when my glorious power is eventually restored to me, __**then**__ shall I unleash my wrath on you, and all those who opposed me. And when that day arrives, everything you've known…everything you've fought to protect…everything you love...will be lost..."_

**(End of Book II)**

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**A/N: **I re-edited this chapter on Thursday, 17 February 2011, with just a few minor changes in words here and there. I'm currently focused on Book III.

Book III will be heavily focused on Team Rocket (the organization, not the trio, although Jessie, James and Meowth will have much more prominent roles), and Giovanni in particular.

Any reviews you give much appreciated. :)


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